Seven Days and Counting
by DSISandraPullman39
Summary: Sandra's missing can the boys work out who's taken her and get her back before it's too late.
1. Chapter 1

**Seven Days and Counting**

**Disclaimer:-** Don't own them just borrowing!

**Episode:-** Lots of little things from early series no major spoilers

**Pairing:- **Sandra / Gerry

**Rating:- **M

**Achieve:- . /group/new_tricksff/**

**Summary:- **Sandra's missing can the boys work out who's taken her and get her back before it's too late.

**Author's Note:- **Ok let me think, not really sure how to authors note this other than to say it's not the usual thing I write. It's angsty and tense and involves serious character danger and so if you are opening this expecting my usual sort of fluffy sexy smut for the sake of smut STOP NOW. If you don't like to see our fav characters in distress or danger STOP NOW. To be honest I can't think of any other way to warn you so here goes and please review if that's what you're into since this will be as hard for me to write as for you to read lol

Day 1

The room is cold and dark as I fight to breathe the smothering feeling of compression on my chest and cotton wool; no make that steel wool, in my head. Trying to force my eyes open I realise that I can't move my body feels too heavy, my head too sore and the crushing pressure around my wrist too strong as I try to rub my eyes and find I can't move my arms. Trying to quell the panic I can feel rising in my chest I try to piece together what's happened, where I am and why I feel so bad. I try to work out what I last remember I know I left the office yesterday I know we went for a drink and I left the boys in the pub discussing the merits of 70's verse 00's policing but then it's blank, from the fresh night air by the river to this crushing darkness and paralysing fear. Forcing my eyes open I try to adjust to the darkness, try to make out anything other than the soft mattress below my body and as my eyes adjust I realise I'm in a bedroom, an ordinary looking bedroom, but as I try to move again and feel the cold steel of handcuffs on my wrists I know it's not an ordinary bedroom not by a long chalk.

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"Well she's probably not speaking to us after last night she was pretty pissed off when she left." Gerry sighed as he Brian and Jack glanced around the office noting the distinct and conspicuous absence of their boss.

"She was pissed off she was bored." Jack laughed pushing aside his uneasiness as they all looked at each other for a second confusion obvious. They were used to Sandra arriving into the office later than them but not into the building later and they had all noted the absence of her car in her usual space when they'd come in.

"Look I'm the one who's supposed to over react." Brian laughed moving over and putting the kettle on as the tension seemed to lift from the room, "she's probably slept through the alarm or something let's get the coffee on or she really will be pissed off when she gets here."

Milling around the office all three men lost themselves in what they were doing seeming to have forgotten the glaring absence in the room until the door opened and they collectively raised their heads then sighed in union as a young WPC entered the room carrying a box wrapped in brown paper.

"If that's for superintendent Pullman leave it on her desk she's not in yet." Jack sighed sinking into his chair again and looking suspiciously at the young woman as she brought the box over and set it down in front of him.

"No it's address to Mr's Halford, Lane and Standing c/o UCOS." She smiled getting Jack to sign the docket in front of her before leaving the room cheerily.

"A parcel?" Gerry asked looking at the box on Jacks desk suspiciously.

"For us?" Brian added

"Oh for pities sake it's probably Sandra's idea of a joke it'll be a complete set of modern policing magazine or something don't look so worried you two." Jack sighed pushing aside his own discomfort as he lifted the scissors off his desk and slipped them across the tape holding the box closed. Lifting the top off he felt his blood run cold as Brian and Gerry looked over the flap and for a second they all stopped in their tracks.

"Is that…..?" Gerry asked shaking his head in disbelief.

"It is and that's…." Brian tried to add before the words stopped in his throat as well and Jack stared at them both.

"Gloves!" Jack commanded as both other men seemed to jump into action Gerry grabbing the phone on his desk and phoning Strickland's office and Brian shoved gloves in his direction.

"That's her coat." Brian said quietly as Jack put the gloves on and lifted the familiar black jacket from the box holding it up before setting it on the sheet of clear plastic that Brian had always set on the desk in front of him before lifting the next item from the box.

"And that's her warrant card what the hell?" Gerry muttered as it joined the coat and Jack lifted a video tape and envelop from the bottom of the box just as Robert Strickland pushed the door open demanding to know where the fire was.

"Sandra's missing she….."

"And that's her coat and warrant card and there's…."

"Look let me tell him the whole…."

"Quiet all of you!" Strickland shouted as all three men stared at him for a second and Jack held the video and envelope up. "Jack, tell me what the hell is going on and where is Sandra I swear she leaves you lot alone for ten minutes and you all go nuts!"

"We got in this morning and she wasn't here." Jack explained trying to sound detached and like he was giving the details of any other strange events. "She left us last night in the pub at 10:30 and we assumed she'd be here when she wasn't we thought nothing of it. Thought she'd slept late or was pissed at us and decided to take the day off nothing out of the ordinary."

"And you changed your mind and called me because?"

"This arrived." Jack continued as the others paced the floor both trying to keep their thoughts to themselves in. "We opened it and we found Sandra's coat there's staining on the collar that looks distinctly like blood, her warrant card was in the box too and these a video tape labelled 1 and an envelope numbered 2."

"Why are we standing about here discussing things why aren't we watching the video and opening the fucking envelope?" Gerry shouted as Brian continued pacing counting out his steps ten back then ten forward.

"Gerry we're about to but there's no point in letting this get insane before it needs to." Jack sighed as he and Strickland exchanged worried glances and he knew they were thinking the same thing. "Brian; fire up the video will you?"

Waiting as Brian pulled the television stand round in front of the row of chairs then inserted the tape all four men stared at the screen. Flickering from grey and white snow to a gloomy picture of a room in shaded light there was a collective intake of breath as they all saw the figure lying on the bed a sheet pulled over the obvious nakedness of the woman below as the camera zoomed in and they saw Sandra's face in stark relief looking for all the world like she was sleeping peacefully were it not for the trail of blood making a stain from her nose across her cheek and down to her collar.

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The door opens and there's a chink of light and a voice, a voice I'm sure I recognise but through the fog in my mind I can't place.

"I've brought you something to eat and some water." He says quietly as I try to focus on his face but the blinding light coming from behind him makes it impossible as he uncuffs one of my arms. "Eat and have some water you must be starving I'll be back later."

"Who are you…what do you….." I start to try to question him before he has completed the job of releasing one set of handcuffs from my left arm and leaving the room completely ignoring the fact I'm talking at all.

Staring at the tray now beside me I think for a second, my mouth feels like sandpaper I don't know what he's done to get me here but as my mind starts to clear and I feel the soft cotton of the sheet around my body I feel my stomach lurch. I'm naked, has he? Would he? Will he again? My mind is full of questions as I ignore the panic that has now turned to terror in my chest and sip slowly at the glass of water. If I am to understand what's happening here I need to be aware of my surroundings and years of working abduction and murder cases tells me that dehydration is the real enemy of consciousness, food I can do without for now but without water I have no hope.

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Staring at the screen as it went blank all four men were silent for a moment before Gerry, Brian and Strickland's eyes fell on the envelope in Jack's hand.

"Open it." Strickland said quietly as the other two men looked on and Jack used a pen from his desk to slice across the top of the envelope carefully lifting out the crisp sheet of paper.

"I'd like to say hello officers of the law but I'd be lying." He read quietly from the neatly hand written words in front of him "I'd imagine DCI Strickland is there so I suppose you're not all civilians now he needs to listen to his more than most of you. I have DSI Sandra Pullman and I'm planning on keeping her until I'm bored with her but I'll put off my game playing for 7 days, I believe in giving the elderly a chance but I will be watching and if I get even a ghost of a hint that there is anyone involved in this but the four of you in the room right now it's over I will have my fun then leave her body somewhere for you all to find! I don't think I can make it clearer than that. Have fun and I'd say good luck but I'm counting the hours until she is mine. Bye for now!"

"Right I'll call CID and we'll get forensics to look at all that stuff then we'll interview you three and…." Strickland began before he was shouted down by three voices all saying the same thing.

"No!" Jack said finally breaking though the debacle as the other three men looked at him in surprise. "Right now I don't care if you out rank me in some imaginary world were we're all still on the force, I don't care about protocol or how this should be done or anything else. This isn't some anonymous person in trouble. This is Sandra and if I have to lock you in her office and pull the fucking phone out of the wall we are going to do this our way. That's what he wants and whoever he is he wants us to find him and we won't do it because we're ex-coppers or because it's our job but because she's our friend and we love her and if we'd listened to her in the first place this might never have happened!"

Looking around the room and the three older men in front of his Robert Strickland felt his mind start an epic war, he knew Jack was right Sandra had been telling them all, even him that something wasn't right for weeks and they'd all ignored it. Now he had to decide whether he was prepared to ignore his head which was telling him to let the "professionals" deal with this and go with his gut and let these men do what they had to do to bring back the woman who had brought them all back from the brink in one way or another.

"I swear if you don't let us do…" Gerry began before Strickland held a silencing hand up in front of him shaking his head slightly, knocking aside the last vestiges of common sense that were left as he took a deep breath.

"Ok look we all know we've screwed up here, we all know we've ignored what we should have paid attention to but I'm going to trust you all just like she does." He sighed walking toward the door and staring back at them "I'm going to pretend I wasn't here, I'm going to pretend that she's here and I'm just getting on with things like I do when she is and I'm going to trust you but if you need anything, and I mean anything, if you need a signature, a call made, anything at all you call me. I'll be on your back so much for the next few days that you will be sick of the sight of me and when we've found her we'll deal with everything else then. Now get to work remind me why she has so much faith in you to begin with."


	2. Chapter 2

**Seven Days and Counting**

**Disclaimer:-** Don't own them just borrowing!

**Episode:-** Lots of little things from early series no major spoilers

**Pairing:- **Sandra / Gerry

**Rating:- **M

**Achieve:- . /group/new_tricksff/**

**Summary:- **Sandra's missing can the boys work out who's taken her and get her back before it's too late.

**Author's Note:- **Ok let me think, not really sure how to authors note this other than to say it's not the usual thing I write. It's angsty and tense and involves serious character danger and so if you are opening this expecting my usual sort of fluffy sexy smut for the sake of smut STOP NOW. If you don't like to see our fav characters in distress or danger STOP NOW. To be honest I can't think of any other way to warn you so here goes and please review if that's what you're into since this will be as hard for me to write as for you to read lol

Day 1

"Do you really think this is all linked to the last couple of weeks?" Brian asked sitting on the edge of his desk and staring at Jack as he chewed on the end of his glasses.

"Of course it is she's been telling us something's not right and we ignored her, laughed at her even."

"Told her she was being paranoid;" Gerry added as all three of them stared at the floor unable to look at each other each lost in their own recollection of the previous weeks.

***_Two weeks earlier_

"_Right Strickland has pushed this case up the pile. 27 year old woman, made reports repeatedly about being harassed by her EX then ended up dead; the EX had a water tight alibi and the original team back in 91' couldn't find any other leads. " Sandra said loudly wandering into the office and setting copies of the file in her hand on each of the three men's desks as they grinned at her unnervingly. "You want to share the joke?"_

"_No joke;" Jack smiled nodding toward her office as she walked toward the door opening it and stopping in her tracks as she saw the enormous bouquet of white roses and lilies sitting in the centre of her desk._

"_So who is he?" Gerry asked as she looked from the flowers to them and back again,_

"_Someone who's not short of a bob or two;" Brian added "they'll have set him back a hundred quid at least."_

"_Well are you going to tell us?" Jack continued as she lifted the card from the centre of the flowers opening it and trying to quash the uneasiness in her chest._

"_I honestly have no idea who sent them and this isn't much help." She replied quietly handing the card to Jack as he read the short message._

"_Beauty should be surrounded by beauty….well someone who's clearly very…smitten you can't think of anyone?"_

"_No I mean there isn't…." Sandra sighed sinking in to the chair behind her desk "Well there isn't anyone at the minute that'd be sending me flowers not for….well not for a while."_

"_So you've got a secret admirer then Guv;" Gerry smiled as she tried to return his grin as her mind ran over the possibilities. She knew they were right it was probably someone she'd come in contact with and hadn't noticed but they'd noticed her and the flowers would be followed by a phone call asking her out. She knew that was what she should be assuming but she couldn't shake off the gut feeling that something wasn't right._

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"_Still no word from your international man of mystery then?" Jack asked three days later as Sandra dropped the last of the flowers into the bin._

"_No. How are you getting on with forensics have they been able to match the blood on the girl's blouse to her step brother?"_

"_Yeah that's what I was coming to tell you. Between that and the traced calls and skin under her fingernails we've got enough to bring him in. Brian and Gerry are ready you want to come?"_

"_Yes. Let's go." Sandra smiled lifting her handbag and mobile as they headed out of the office reaching her car as she stopped dead looking across the road at the shiny new model black mini she was sure she'd seen that morning as well._

"_Sandra what's wrong?" Gerry asked stopping by his own car and following her gaze._

"_That car I'm sure I saw it outside my place this morning" she replied quietly as her phone began to ring. "Pullman?" she said loudly into the receiver sighing heavily and throwing it into her bag as she was greeted with the same silence from the other end._

"_Let's go bring this guy in." Brian said looking sceptically from Jack to Gerry "I think this case is starting to get to you governor the sooner we sign it off the better."_

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_One week earlier_

"_That's the fourth time in 2 days my phone has rung and then I've answered it there's no one at the other end." Sandra sighed setting her mobile down on the pub table as the boys all looked at her._

"_It's probably flower guy." Gerry laughed "He's too scared to ask you out, you can be pretty intimidating you know."_

"_Yeah you sure as hell scare the crap out of me most of the time." Brian agreed laughing as Jack nodded enthusiastically._

"_I got another identical bouquet of flowers this morning at home," Sandra added "Same note with no signature I wish whoever the hell he is he'd make a move so I can tell him to bugger off and put an end to this."_

"_Stop letting it get to you." Jack sighed; setting fresh drinks on the table. "Just enjoy the attention he'll tell you who he is soon enough he won't keep slashing the cash without letting you know who he is."_

"_Damn right." Gerry agreed "If you're gonna spend that sort of dosh on a woman you want to know if there's any chance you'll be getting something at the end of it if you know what I mean."_

"_You're a real romantic Gerry." Sandra laughed at the screen of her mobile as it lit up again with "unknown number" and she was greeted with the same silence at the end._

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_The previous night_

"_Look I know you all think I'm over reacting but it's been two weeks now. Two expensive bouquets of flowers, one hamper of bite sized chocolate muffins, and a dozen hang up phone calls. Not only that but I'm sure I've seen that black mini at least half a dozen times in the last few days. Sandra sighed staring into her wine glass as Gerry, Jack and Brian exchanged tolerant glances._

"_Look Sandra." Jack began, "We've just finished working this stalking case. Catching the guy then getting ready for court it's natural that you're going to be more sensitive about things but do you really think you have anything to worry about?"_

"_Yeah jack's right." Brian agreed "I mean there's hasn't been anything threatening just some gifts from someone too shy to approach you yet."_

"_And as for the black mini;" Gerry added "there must be hundreds of them driving around London. You're being paranoid because we've been so wrapped up in this case. Trust me give it another day or two and you'll be laughing about it when you find out that your "stalker" is some wet behind the ears desk sergeant with a crush on you."_

"_Ok, ok I know you're probably right." Sandra finally agreed joining in their amused laughter as she waved to the barman telling him to refill their drinks as they slipped into a conversation about how if it was the 70's they'd track down the sender of the flowers and show them he needed to man up or back off. "And on that note I'll get you three a round in then I'm going home I have a date with a good book and a hot bath." ***_

"We've got to find her." Brian said quietly shaking the other's from their contemplations "If anything happens to her I'll never…"

"None of us will." Gerry interrupted not allowing him to finish the statement, not wanting to contemplate the thought that they might let her down. "Jack let's get that coat to forensics I'm going to check her office and see if she kept the card from the florists maybe they can give us a clue about who sent them then I think we should go to her place and see if she made it back there at all last night."

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My eyes are sore trying to adjust to the darkness in the room desperate to find something, anything that might give me a clue as to where I am and who brought me here. I can hear his footsteps outside the door and suddenly I'm blinded again by the light from the hall.

"Sandra you really should have eaten something." His voice is frustrated with an edge of anger that makes me wonder if it was wise to disobey his instructions. "There isn't going to be any point in your band of boys finding you if you're going to starve yourself to death while we're waiting."

"What do you mean? Why have you done this?" I try to sound braver than I'm feeling as he laughs staying in the shadows so I can't see his face.

"You honestly don't know? I think you do but if you want to play hard to get that's fine with me. I've sent some things to your office and given your dinosaurs seven days to find you. When they fail you're all mine. I can hardly wait."

He's gone again before I have a chance to reply or ask any more questions and for the first time I am truly terrified as I curl up under the cold cotton sheet my wrist still firmly attached to the bed frame aching. Seven days? What has he sent to the office? What exactly has he planned if they can't find me? Most importantly who the hell is he?

"Come on boys." I whisper feeling a single tear run down my cheek "I know you can do this. Just find me before its too late. Please!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Seven Days and Counting**

**Disclaimer:-** Don't own them just borrowing!

**Episode:-** Lots of little things from early series no major spoilers

**Pairing:- **Sandra / Gerry

**Rating:- **M

**Achieve:- . /group/new_tricksff/**

**Summary:- **Sandra's missing can the boys work out who's taken her and get her back before it's too late.

**Author's Note:- **Ok let me think, not really sure how to authors note this other than to say it's not the usual thing I write. It's angsty and tense and involves serious character danger and so if you are opening this expecting my usual sort of fluffy sexy smut for the sake of smut STOP NOW. If you don't like to see our fav characters in distress or danger STOP NOW. To be honest I can't think of any other way to warn you so here goes and please review if that's what you're into since this will be as hard for me to write as for you to read lol

Day 2

My eyes snap open as I feel the bed dip beside me and his fingers run down my cheek.

"Don't touch me!" the words are out of my mouth and I'm pulling away from him before I've decided if it's wise to make him angry.

"Oh Sandra fiery as ever;" he's laughing at me as I use the arm not still attached to the bed frame to pull the sheet closer around my body. "There's a bathroom through that door over there. I've got your favourite soap and shampoo and stuff and there's clean towels and something for you to put on. I'm going to leave you to shower but don't bother trying to find a way out there's only one door out of this room and I have the key and I'll be locking it behind me. There are brushes and a hair drier on the dressing table. I'll give you an hour then I'll be back and we can have breakfast together.

"Why are you doing this? If you're going to keep me here, if you've been watching me closely enough to know what soap I like why didn't you just call me, ask me out, do anything other than this?"

He's holding my wrist gently unlocking the cuff and he's so close I can almost see his face even in the dark and again there's a tug of recognition but not enough for me to form a clear picture. I'm getting there though.

"So many questions Sandra;" He says quietly brushing my hair away from my face as I fight the urge to push him away. Right now he has all the power and I need to know more about what I'm dealing with if I'm going to survive this. "I'll be back soon."

He's gone and I wait until I hear the key turn in the lock before pulling the sheet around me and getting off the bed. The room is so dark but the heavy drapes on the windows hide only wooden shutter locked firmly in place so I have no hope of changing that situation.

"Think Sandra come on!" I'm so angry with myself for not going with my gut this last week. I knew something wasn't right I told them all that then I let them talk me into believing I was over reacting. Opening the door to the bathroom it takes a second for my eyes to adjust to the dim light as I look around at the cosmetics on the shelf above the sink. Jesus this just gets more frightening everything on the shelf is new and every one is the brand that I use day in and day out. How long has he been watching me? How could he have found out so much about me without me knowing? I really need to think of a way to get him to start talking to me if there's no way out of here except through that door I need to get him to trust me and hope the boys are finding out more than I am otherwise I have no hope.

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"Shit we need to call Strickland and get a forensic team in here." Gerry said quietly as he, Jack and Brian stood in Sandra's living room looking at the obvious signs of a struggle. "There's no sign of forced entry so either she knew him or…."

"Or he let himself in and was waiting here for her when she got home." Brian interrupted pointing at the single silver key in the middle of the dining table.

"He had a key? What the hell?" Jack replied moving through the room mentally noting the disarray and the small pool of blood on the floor by the coffee table.

"Hey you need to see this." Brian called from down the hall as they joined him at Sandra's bedroom door.

"Oh my god!" Jack muttered as Gerry walked a little further into the room.

"You think he did this before she came home? I mean do you think he was here messing with her things while she was with us?" Brian asked as they looked at the piles of clothes, bedding, jewellery and other personal items scattered about the room.

"I bloody hope so." Gerry sighed saying a silent prayer that Sandra had never seen this room. He knew how she valued her privacy and how upset she would be that it had been so completely invaded. Looking at the toppled night stand, the book she'd been reading, the lamp, the bottle of hand cream, the box of tissues and things that he's seen only a couple of nights before in their regular position he felt his stomach lurch. "Have you got a hanky or something Jack?"

"Yeah here." Jack replied taking a neatly folded cotton hanky from his pocket and handing it to him watching suspiciously as Gerry covered his hand with it and moving across the room opened a drawer in the bottom of the wardrobe.

"What are you looking for?" Brian asked tiptoeing through the debris himself as Gerry lifted a hand gun from the drawer holding it up with the hanky.

"Well he didn't take this but then again it being here means she didn't have a chance to get to it either so it's a mixed blessing I suppose." He sighed "She wasn't in this room before he took her if she had been the first place she'd have gone was this drawer.

"How did you know it was there?" Jack asked feeling the pieces fall into place as Gerry avoided the question and they were interrupted by the arrival of Strickland and a small team of crime scene techs.

"They don't know who lives here it's just another scene to them." Strickland said quietly nodding toward the front door as he walked toward it and all three men followed him. "That's some mess in there so we're assuming he took her from here?"

"What do you think?" Gerry snapped as the other three men stared at him in surprise. "She walked out of that pub two nights ago and we let her and she came back home to this now she's gone! I swear when we find this guy you better keep him the hell away from me because I'll not be responsible for my…."

"Sir?" A young woman dressed in a white forensics suit interrupted them as Strickland and Brian followed her back into the house to see what they had found and Jack watched as Gerry leant against the garden wall lighting a cigarette.

"How long?" He asked leaning against the wall too and laughing as Gerry stared at him in shock. "Don't bother denying it I'm not judging either of you I just want to know how long you've been together?"

"Just over a year." He sighed staring at his feet. They'd been careful, very careful and when he had broached the subject of telling the others she had brushed him off reminding him that there were very good reasons why they didn't.

"That long? God you two are much better at keeping secrets than I'd given you credit for." Jack laughed wondering how often they'd left the office together, argued in plain sight and arrived together without it having occurred to him that there might be something more going on. "Is it serious? I mean are you together or is it just…. You know…Just sex?"

"Just sex?" Gerry laughed "Jesus Jack you know Sandra right? Do you think if it was just sex she'd ever have let it happen? That she'd risk the whole dynamic of our team for a shag? Of course it's serious I….well I love her but we just couldn't tell you all she was worried that if Strickland found out he'd blow a gasket."

"Well you're going to have to try a bit harder to keep yourself under control when he's around." Jack muttered feeling the other man's pain and frustration radiating from his. "If you keep losing it around him he's going to work out that something's going on, then when we find her and she realises you let the cat out of the bag she'll kill you."

"I should have left with her that night Jack, I was supposed to we had plans but she was so irritated with us for not taking her seriously that I knew she'd not want to see me before the morning. The whole book and bath line was for my benefit so I knew not to follow her. If I'd just made her stay or if I'd gone with her then…"

"Stop that now." Jack snapped "It doesn't help. You spend the rest of this week beating yourself up about what you should have done and you'll be no use to anyone. What you need to be doing now is thinking, you obviously spent a lot more time with her than the rest of us, did you notice anything, anyone hanging around is there something we're missing?"

"No…well I don't know maybe I'll think about it." Gerry replied as Brian joined them again.

"There's more blood in the bathroom sink a lot of it, it looks like someone washed their hands. With any luck she managed to injure him and we'll get a DNA profile." He said excitedly before taking in the looks on the other men's faces. "What's going on?"

"Gerry and Sandra are together," Jack replied quietly.

"No they aren't he's here and we don't know where the hell she is what are you talking …"

"No Brian." Gerry interrupted waiting a beat as realisation flooded Brian's face.

"You and Sandra? Seriously? Nah you two are having me on."

"Does this really strike you as something we'd be joking about right now?" Jack asked not really sure how Brian was going to take the news.

"That's how you knew about the gun?"

"Yeah but listen Brian Strickland doesn't know; she didn't want him to mess with the unit because we were in a relationship so we had to keep it quiet." Gerry continued glancing at Jack as they both waited for Brian to react.

"Well you better keep your temper in check then." He said quietly shaking his head and smiling. "So you and the Governor? Esther's going to love this she's always said you two were made for each other. Is it serious or just…."

"For fuck sake what is it with you two? No it's not just about sex yes it's serious I'm in love with her why do you both assume immediately that I'd only be with her for her body?"

"Your track record!" Jack smiled as they saw Strickland come back out of the house toward them.

"Forensics are just about finished I'll see you three back at the office and we'll go over what we've got." He said sternly before disappearing in the direction of his car.

"Right." Brian said keeping his voice low and conspiratorial. "Let's get our Governor back then you can both explain why you didn't tell us before now while we celebrate."

"That man never ceases to amaze me." Gerry sighed as they all went back into the house and Jack nodded his agreement.

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"You are so beautiful." His voice startles me as I set the hair drier down again on the dressing table and try to hide the shaking in my hands. "I knew that nightgown would look amazing on you."

"It's very pretty." I say quietly looking down and the scarlet camisole nighty he had left in the bathroom. It's too cheap, too short, and too tacky, everything I hate but it's better than being naked. He's standing in the doorway and I can see the hall behind him. If I could just take him by surprise, catch him off guard I may be able to get past him.

"On you it is."

"Really?" Standing up I turn slowly in front of him hoping that I'm distracting him as I walk toward the door smiling and reaching for his hand. He grasps my hand and in a split second I pull him into the room and suddenly everything is a blur. He's kicked the door shut and I feel his other hand make contact with my face, feel blood dripping from my nose as he throws me backward toward the bed.

"Big mistake Sandra." I hear him growl before a rough cloth covers my mouth and nose and fumes invade my senses as the room fades around me.

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Standing with his back to the room looking out the bedroom window Gerry felt like his chest was being compressed. A few days ago this room was one of the places he loved to be more than any other, now even with his back to the destruction the room echoed with the emptiness of her loss.

"We'll make it right before she comes home." Brian said entering the room and shaking Gerry from his thoughts. "Esther will help she won't ever see this we'll make sure of that."

"Damn right we will." Jack agreed as all three of them looked around a final time. "Now shall we go find the woman you love Gerry?"

"I can't think of anything I'd like to do more right now." Gerry agreed as they all left the room and he closed the door behind him. "We're coming for you darlin' just hang in there we'll find you I promise." He continued whispering his words at the closed bedroom door silently praying that the next time he walked through it she would be in his arms where she should be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Seven Days and Counting 4**

**Disclaimer:-** Don't own them just borrowing!

**Episode:-** Lots of little things from early series no major spoilers

**Pairing:- **Sandra / Gerry

**Rating:- **M

**Achieve:- . /group/new_tricksff/**

**Summary:- **Sandra's missing can the boys work out who's taken her and get her back before it's too late.

**Author's Note:- **Ok let me think, not really sure how to authors note this other than to say it's not the usual thing I write. It's angsty and tense and involves serious character danger and so if you are opening this expecting my usual sort of fluffy sexy smut for the sake of smut STOP NOW. If you don't like to see our fav characters in distress or danger STOP NOW. To be honest I can't think of any other way to warn you so here goes and please review if that's what you're into since this will be as hard for me to write as for you to read lol

Day 2

"Strickland is upstairs with forensics he says he'll be down in twenty minutes to fill us in." Jack said setting the phone back down that had been ringing as they walked into the office.

"Did he say if they'd found anything?" Gerry asked pacing up and down in front of the incident board as Brian put the kettle on before reaching on to the top of the cupboard and bringing down the half empty bottle of scotch and handing it to Jack.

"Pour him a drink will you he might stop pacing long enough to drink it." He said turning his attention back to the kettle and making himself a coffee.

"No he said he just said he'd fill us in when he came down." Jack replied handing Gerry a mug with an inch of the amber liquid in the bottom. "I want to ask you something before he gets here anyway. If you and Sandra are a couple why the hell weren't you worried or jealous even when the flowers arrived not once but twice and the cake or whatever it was she said he sent?"

"Of course I was worried and jealous." Gerry sighed kicking himself internally again for not taking more action as he looked from Jack to Brian and realised they were expecting more of an explanation. "Look when we got home after the first ones arrived here we have a huge row and I mean a stonker of a row. I went off the deep end asking her who sent them, was there someone else who had asked her out or was there something going only I should know about. In the end she convinced me that there wasn't and I convinced her that it was nothing to worry about. I didn't know about the muffins she must have binned them without telling me, and the second flowers only came the day she disappeared and they weren't there when I left her place that morning to go home and change so they must have arrived after that. You know what it's like you two work with her too you see how many guys react to her when she's in the room if I got jealous every time someone else fancied her or asked her out I'd spend my entire life being jealous. She told me that first night when we had the row that if I loved her as much as I said I did then I was going to have to trust her and trust that she loved me and didn't want anyone else."

"Yeah I can imagine how that row would have went." Brian sighed "When we were younger and I was always either working or drinking I used to get paranoid that someone was going to take Esther away from me. We had more rows than I care to remember that ended just like that."

"Perils of being a man with an attractive partner;" Jack agreed "I wasn't saying you did anything wrong I just thought if we talked about it maybe it would jog your memory and you'd remember something that might help."

"Now that you mention it;" Gerry said quietly trying to think back to the previous weekend. "Last weekend I answered the phone at her place and the guy on the other end just said he had the wrong number and hung up. Then she came in and said she'd been down putting the rubbish out and the bin was toppled and the bags ripped open. Not just hers another one as well she said it had happened a few times and the other people in the block thought they had a fox or something."

"Did she say when it started?" Brian asked turning to the incident board and writing phone call? Bin?

"I didn't tell her about the wrong number call. It was right in the middle of the whole stalking case and she was already pretty wound up. I asked about the bins and she said it had happened a couple of times in the previous couple of week's always more than one bin and hers was always one of the one gone through. She even joked that it was because she had a superior standard of left overs to everyone else. I don't see how it could be linked Sandra is the most security conscious person I know she shreds everything there'd not be anything personal in there."

"Yeah but he'd not know that until he looked." Jack sighed "it doesn't explain why he kept coming back though, maybe we're just trying to grasp at straws maybe it was just a fox."

"Or maybe personal documents weren't what he was looking for." Brian added taking his glasses off and rubbing the bridge of his nose before putting them back on again. "We've assumed that whoever this guy is he knew Sandra at least a bit but think about it. Think how many people we meet in passing in this line of work and every one of them she gives her name and rank to. If you were this guy and that was all the information you had what would you do?"

"I'd try to contact her through here." Gerry replied his eyes narrowing as he started to catch up with Brian's train of thought but Jack got there first.

"And after the flowers I'd want to know more about her, make sure I had all the facts before approaching her."

"Exactly" Brian smiled "So you follow her when she leaves here in your black mini, very common car we told her that ourselves so you think you'll be safe."

"Then you find out where she lives." Jack picked up as Gerry nodded and watched as Brian wrote everything on the incident board in the form of one of his famous mind maps. "Then once you have her home address you've no need to contact her here anymore."

"You send all future gifts to her home." Gerry agreed as they all now paced back and forward in different parts of the office. "And you try to find out more about her from her rubbish but you don't just root through one bin that would attract too much attention you make sure to always mess with at least one other so it looks like a fox or something."

"Yeah that's plausible" Jack sighed shaking his head at the information on the board "But it's still tells us bugger all about who was doing all these things."

"Right forensics have some information for us." Strickland said loudly walking into the office before any of them had a chance to talk further. "The bloods on the coat and on the living room floor by the coffee table are both a match for Sandra. The blood in the sink is partially hers but there's another source it doesn't match any on the database."

"So she did manage to injure him?" Gerry replied triumphantly feeling a small amount of relief that she had at least had time to fight back that was quickly replaced by a fresh wave of nausea as he saw the pool of blood on the floor in his mind's eye.

"Yeah." Strickland agreed eyeing the mind map Brian was still adding to. "There was a single recoverable print on the key again no matches to anyone known to us."

"So really it all told us nothing then?" Jack sighed sinking into the chair behind his desk.

"Well it gives us evidence to use when we catch the guy but there's something else." Strickland continued glancing at his feet for a second as all three men looked at him expectantly. "There was a semen sample on some of the…..well more personal items in the bedroom. It matched the unknown blood in the sink which obviously means we have no match for it either."

"So he…" Gerry began not able to finish the sentence as Jack and Brian moved to his side both obviously thinking the same thing.

"No forensics don't think she was sexually assaulted based on that sample they think….." Strickland interrupted shuffling his feet again and obviously trying to choose his words carefully as Jack finally lost his temper feeling his blood run cold in his veins.

"For fuck sake stop skirting around the evidence! Collectively we've over a century of police experience behind us we've heard it all before and right now we are more interested in finding Sandra than in your embarrassment."

"It appears from the spread pattern of the sample and the amount of it there was on the….garment that our abductor had a little time on his hands while he was waiting for Sandra to get home and he decided to use it to ….enjoy himself."

"Fucking bastard!" Gerry shouted as he grabbed his coat digging his cigarettes out of the pocket before storming out of the room.

"One of you should go after him." Strickland said quietly as both of the other men shook their heads.

"He'll be back in a minute he just needs to clear his head." Jack replied

"Yeah and process what we've just heard he'll be back in the time it takes him to smoke his ciggy." Brian added.

"Well what's this on the board is it…." Strickland began before they were interrupted by the arrival of the desk sergeant from upstairs as he walked through the door with a large parcel that all three men looked at like it might be about to explode.

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Opening my eyes I realise there's actually some light in the room being given off by the small lamp he's put on the dressing table. Lifting my head I see the pool of blood on the pillow and feel the swelling on my lip from having been his with such force. My head has the same steel wool feeling that it had when I woke up yesterday and now I know why. He drugged me; he must have done the same thing to get me here. He hasn't cuffed me to the bed again and as I see the small table at the end of the bed I know why. He's left fruit and more water and a note which I pick up with trembling hands.

"_Heading for day three Sandra and still no sign of your boys. I wish I could say I'm disappointed but I'd be lying. I'll be back in the morning I suggest you eat something and think carefully about pulling a stunt like that again. Once I can forgive twice and I'll not be responsible for my actions."_

I knew it was stupid, I knew it was a risk but I had to try at least that's what I'm telling myself as I lift the bowl of fruit and try to eat something but find it sticking in my throat. I drink one of the bottles of water before crawling up the bed and turning the pillow over as I bury my head in it and feel panic and fear consume me causing me to completely fall apart. My chest tightens and I let the tears I've been holding back for two days overtake me.

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"Gloves everyone and get me a knife or something to open this with." Jack said loudly as Gerry re-joined them his eyes widening as he saw the box and took a set of gloves from Brian.

Watching as the box was opened all four men stepped closer to it staring at the contents before Strickland retrieved some evidence bags from the cupboard at the other side of the room.

"Right one thing at a time." He instructed as Jack dropped the blouse Sandra had been wearing the last time they saw her into the first bag he held out. Five minutes later they all looked at the row of evidence bags in front of them containing Sandra's clothing, shoes, handbag and its contents and the video table and letter now resting in Jack's hands.

"Put the video on." Gerry told Brian as he did as instructed and they watched as the screen as filled with the image of Sandra sitting at the dressing table then a shadow appearing behind her.

"Oh god." Brian gulped as they watched Sandra make an attempt to escape her abductor before he hit her and the screen went blank as he pushed her back onto the bed.

"The letter? Strickland said quietly as Jack looked at Gerry with his head in his hands. He knew watching what had just happened must be killing him even more than it was the rest of them and as he opened the letter in his hands he couldn't see that situation getting any better.

"_Gentlemen does this woman even know how to follow simple instruction? She really can be very trying at times. I don't know how you put up with her for so long but given that it's been 48 hours and you are no closer to finding her, nor me for that matter I think it won't be long before I'm ridding you of this particular annoyance. Happy Hunting"_

"I'll get this stuff up to forensics I have a core unit up there working on this they know it's sensitive and they're getting through stuff as quick as possible." Strickland said his voice barely audible "You three need to go home, sleep, eat, shower, it's after midnight we're not going to be able to do anything else tonight."

"No way!" Brian snapped

"Go to hell!" Jack added.

"We're going nowhere have you lost your fucking mind?" Gerry concluded as Strickland held up a hand to silence him.

"Do you three really think you are going to be able to work if you don't get some rest?" He said firmly as Brian looked at Gerry concerned that he might be about to blow his top altogether.

"How about this for a compromise;" He intervened before that could happen glancing at Jack to back him up. "We'll go home for an hour, we can all shower and change and then come back here I'll get Esther to make us something to eat that we can heat up here and we can brainstorm while we eat."

"I think that sounds reasonable." Jack replied glancing from Gerry to Strickland and breathing a sigh of relief when both men nodded. "Have forensics finished at Sandra's place?"

"Yeah they got everything they needed." Strickland confirmed "Why?"

"Because Brian is going to get Esther to help us get the place back to normal before Sandra comes back." Gerry replied.

"Ok well there's a uniformed officer on the door round the clock I'll let them know she'll be coming and going over the next couple of days and she'll be safe enough with them there."

"She'd be safe enough anyway." Jack sighed as the three older men left the room "He's got what he wanted from that place, he's got her, he'll not come back there."

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Closing my eyes, feeling exhausted from the tears I feared would never stop I try to think about something other than this, try to sleep and dream of something other than darkness and fear. Suddenly in my mind I'm back at home lying on my sofa with my feet resting on Gerry's lap as he strokes my ankles and tuts loudly at the football match he's watching while I read my book. In spite of the fact I was nervous about what had been happening I never was when he was close, with him I never felt anything but safe.

"Where are you Gerry?" I whisper into the pillow "I love you I miss you, find me please I need you and you promised you'd always be there."

I know he can't hear me and I don't believe in the magical power of love to transport messages through the ether but once, just once I'd like to be proved wrong. Just this once as I speak the same thing over and over in my head I hope he can hear me. And that before long I'll be able to tell him again in person how much I love him and feel his arms around me letting me know I'm safe again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Seven Days and Counting 5**

**Disclaimer:-** Don't own them just borrowing!

**Episode:-** Lots of little things from early series no major spoilers

**Pairing:- **Sandra / Gerry

**Rating:- **M

**Achieve:- . /group/new_tricksff/**

**Summary:- **Sandra's missing can the boys work out who's taken her and get her back before it's too late.

**Author's Note:- **Ok let me think, not really sure how to authors note this other than to say it's not the usual thing I write. It's angsty and tense and involves serious character danger and so if you are opening this expecting my usual sort of fluffy sexy smut for the sake of smut STOP NOW. If you don't like to see our fav characters in distress or danger STOP NOW. To be honest I can't think of any other way to warn you so here goes and please review if that's what you're into since this will be as hard for me to write as for you to read lol

Day 3

"Esther says she'll go over to Sandra's this morning and get started sorting things out. I warned her it wasn't pretty and I said we'd go with her if she waited but she said for us to concentrate on finding Sandra and she'll do the rest." Brian explained as he handed out plates of casserole that Esther had made and he was heating up in the office microwave.

"She's a diamond that woman I still don't know what she's doing with you." Jack smiled as he started to eat while examining the photos he'd just finished putting on the incident board.

"We got an email back from the florist." Gerry sighed as he joined them taking a plate from Brian. "No good. The flowers were ordered online using one of those prepaid visa card things. They don't have to be registered to use them so no trail back to the buyer."

"Jesus this guy knows what he's doing when did it get so easy to make someone's life a misery and leave no paper trail?" Jack asked "In the old days if you wanted to buy something or send something you had to actually walk into a shop and do it and people actually saw you. Is it any wonder that stalking is becoming so common and so many people are getting away with it?"

"Yeah I know." Brian agreed as Gerry abandoned his barely touched food and stared at the photos on the board.

"Hey is this the stuff that was in Sandra's handbag?" He asked turning to face Jack and Brian as they nodded "Well this is wrong. All this stuff the keys the make- up and purse and crap that's all right but this Natural History Museum leaflet shouldn't be there. She's never been certainly not recently enough for this to be there."

"Well she's a woman Gerry." Jack replied "that could have been in the bottom of her handbag for months, years even, someone could have given her it in the street you know they are always leaflet dropping these days. Women's handbags are a law onto themselves I used to joke that Mary's was like a black hole things went in but never came out."

"No you don't understand. That handbag…." Gerry continued pointing at the picture of a red shoulder bag on the board. "is new. I bought it for her at the weekend she'd been eying it in that fancy women's shop round the corner from her place and I bought it and gave it to her on Sunday. She only put stuff in it to come to work the day she disappeared I watched her do it and there was no museum flier I know there wasn't."

"Well if she left home and came straight here then there is no way for her to have picked it up along the way." Brian said "Maybe he's sending us a message. We need to get hold of Strickland and get him to bring us that back from forensics it might be nothing but it's the closest we've come to a clue so far."

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I've no idea what time of the day or night it is and I'm amazed how quickly I have become disorientated. If he hadn't said so in his note I wouldn't even know I'd been here for two days now and that is only adding to my fear. I need to try to work out where I am and as I look around the room I know there's something familiar about it. The mustard yellow walls, antique furniture and modern bedding in stark contrast is there somewhere in my mind. I know I've been here before and if I was it must have been work related because my days of waking up in strange bedrooms have been over for more than a year now and I don't miss them. Think Sandra come on why would you have been here before you can do this it's you job for god sake think! Getting off the bed I stand in the middle of the room taking in as many details as I can in the dim light. I try to set aside the fear and dread that overwhelms me now and imagine myself here in daylight, relaxed, comfortable seeing this room as somewhere innocent. It's there, the memory, I can feel it teasing me, tugging at my subconscious but refusing to make itself known.

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"Right I've got the original leaflet from forensics but I still don't see why you think it's relevant are you planning on explaining?" Strickland said as he arrived back in the office holding a clear evidence bag containing the museum leaflet.

"Sandra's never been to the museum." Brian explained taking the bag from him "we're pretty sure that the guy put it in her bag for us to find."

"That's a bit of a reach isn't it?" Strickland replied "I mean women and their…."

"We've had the women and their handbags conversation." Jack interrupted "the bag was new so…."

"How do you know it was new?"

"Well we….. I mean ….." Gerry stammered before Brian interrupted

"When you've had her handbag thrown at you to hold as often as we have you notice when it changes sir." He smiled "We're constantly wondering which one of us is going to end up in hospital someday with a hernia when she flings it at us."

"Yeah it's a standing joke in this office." Jack added as he saw Gerry breathe a sigh of relief when Strickland appeared to accept the explanation.

"Right this looks like any normal leaflet." Brian said quietly holding the leaflet up open at the map page "Except for this there's a question mark drawn on in red pen in the middle of gallery 3."

"And what's in gallery 3?" Gerry asked putting on his glasses and looking at the map.

"Well according to the key on the back gallery 3 is a travelling exhibition just there for 6 months on the History of Artic exploration."

"Oh I've seen that." Strickland replied "I took Hermione and Rufus last weekend. It's one of those timeline exhibitions charting different expeditions to the artic and ant-artic. Very interesting."

"Well I'm glad you enjoyed yourself sir but why is he pointing us there?" Jack asked "What the hell as that got to do with anything?"

"I don't know but as soon as the museum opens we need to get down there and see if there's anything specific he wants us to see." Gerry replied feeling a tiny surge of hope that they were finally getting somewhere. Even if they didn't know what it meant it was something which was more than they'd had for the last two days and he was going to cling to that no matter how flimsy a hope it might be.

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Pulling out the drawers in the dressing table and the beside cabinets I'm looking for anything that will make it clearer, any clue that might let me pull the memory rom the back of my mind. So far I'm getting nothing, generic male clothes that could belong to anyone, cufflinks, a watch, aftershave the smell of which evokes no memories and in the night stand drawers there is nothing but a collection of European road maps. I mean what the hell? Ok one more time. Closing my eyes I try again to put myself in the room in a different situation. Opening my eyes again I turn a final time on my heels and suddenly it's there, the memory, the room in a completely different context and for a second my heart stops in my chest. No! No it can't be that was months ago! Can it really have been going on that long and if it has why haven't I noticed? More importantly if I'm right I have no idea how unpredictable this guy might be and I'm in serious trouble!

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"This is just getting weirder by the hour." Jack sighed when Strickland had left the office again informing them he was going home to freshen up himself and would be back in a couple of hours. "I mean what can he possibly be trying to tell us with this?"

"Damned if I know." Gerry replied sinking on to the sofa and staring again at the board of photos as Brian examined one of them closely.

"Gerry, Sandra doesn't have a pet does she?" He asked his tone distracted.

"No not since she was a kid and even then only a gold fish her mother hated. She's not really a pet person." Gerry replied as he and Jack exchanged confused glances.

"Then why is there a receipt from that pet shop round the corner where I buy Scampi's treats?"

"A receipt?" Jack asked as he put on his glasses and approached the incident board with Gerry by his side.

"There in the handbag contents. That white receipt is from the deli remember she went and got us all lunch that day, but the yellow one behind it that's from Mc Mans pet shop I recognise it."

"Maybe she was buying Scampi a present." Gerry sighed in a "how the hell should I know" way.

"We'll get Strickland to get it back from forensics in the morning but it's probably nothing, it might not even be from there." Jack added wondering if Brian was having one of his obsessive turns due to the stress of what they were doing.

"Yeah ok but I definitely think it is." Brian agreed "this guy is messing with us we need to look at everything again and see if he's left us anything else we've missed. Both videos, letters and parcels because I don't know about you two but I don't want to get to the end of this and realise missed something that could have made it all end soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Seven Days and Counting 6**

**Disclaimer:-** Don't own them just borrowing!

**Episode:-** Lots of little things from early series no major spoilers

**Pairing:- **Sandra / Gerry

**Rating:- **M

**Achieve:- . /group/new_tricksff/**

**Summary:- **Sandra's missing can the boys work out who's taken her and get her back before it's too late.

**Author's Note:- **Ok let me think, not really sure how to authors note this other than to say it's not the usual thing I write. It's angsty and tense and involves serious character danger and so if you are opening this expecting my usual sort of fluffy sexy smut for the sake of smut STOP NOW. If you don't like to see our fav characters in distress or danger STOP NOW. To be honest I can't think of any other way to warn you so here goes and please review if that's what you're into since this will be as hard for me to write as for you to read lol

Day 3

The more I look around the room the more I'm sure I'm right. I know who this is and now I'm analysing everything that's happened in the past few months. I'm sure there must be something that happened, something I should have noticed or more importantly Gerry might have noticed so he can give the boys some clue to find me. If I can't think of anything then I don't see how they will be able to work it out and find me.

Part of me is still doubting my memory, I've tried again and again to convince myself that I'm wrong that if it was him I would have noticed but I'm sure, really sure that I'm right. I wish I knew what time of the day or night it is and for the first time since I woke up here two days ago I wish he would come back, I need to confirm that I'm right so I can decide what to do next. The light has gone out again and I'm plunged back into darkness and I know he's coming as I try to steady my breathing determined to sound more confident than I feel when he opens the door. He's there, I can see the shadowy figure with the light blazing from behind him.

"You can leave the light on I know who you are." I've surprised myself with the determination in my voice as he ignores me walking across the room and sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room and I know this is the moment. I can push him and get answers but maybe risk making him angry or I can sit here and count the hours waiting for a knock on the door and I know which I'm choosing. For better or worse I need to be doing something to help myself whatever the consequences.

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"Morning boys." Esther said quietly coming through the office door balancing a cool box in one hand and shopping bag in the other. "How's it going?"

"Slowly, too slowly." Gerry sighed as he took one of the bags out of her hand and Brian took the other.

"We have some evidence at least so we're getting somewhere," Jack replied motioning for her to sit down as he filled her in on things they had found and explained how they were going back over everything they knew.

"I don't understand the museum thing, what can you possibly learn about where Sandra is from looking at a load of old men standing around waist deep in snow?" She sighed as Brian agreed and filled her in on the receipt showing her the picture of the handbag contents.

"Sandra doesn't even have a pet." Gerry added sinking into the corner of the sofa and biting into a banana that she had brought.

"Well maybe he's telling you to think animals." Esther replied putting her glasses on and examining the photo more closely as they looked at her sceptically. "We know Sandra doesn't have a pet so if he's pointing you to a pet shop there has to be a reason. Maybe he's trying to tell you something."

"Like what?" Jack asked as all three men gave her their full attention.

"I don't know but Brian says you think Sandra might have met this guy in the course of a case well you have worked cases involving animals have you dealt with anyone with a pet that might have taken a fancy to her? I don't know this is your job not mine. Mine is to get to her place and get to work." Esther continued lifting her handbag and heading for the door "I'm going straight there now if those photos are anything to go by it's going to take a while."

"Esther!" Gerry called as she made it out into the corridor and paused looking back at him as he handed her a wad of notes. "Whatever you need to get her place back to normal get it, if that's not enough just let Brian know and I'll give you whatever you need."

"Oh Gerry I don't want this," Esther smiled handing him back the money and smiling tolerantly "Whatever I need while I'm there me and Brian will buy it. I'll fix everything I promise she'll never have to see any of it."

"I…..I don't want….well I don't know what to say." Gerry replied feeling the previous two days catch up with him as Esther pulled him into a tight hug.

"Don't say anything. You may be in love with her Gerry but we all love her and none of us wants her to have to come home to that." She smiled "Keep your money because according to Brian the drinks are on you when you do get her back as punishment for not telling us all you were a couple sooner. I know you're going to find her and if this fella seriously thinks otherwise then he has no idea what he's dealing with. Now go concentrate on finding her and leave the rest to me ok?"

"Ok, you're right…" Gerry smiled releasing himself from her arms and feeling much more capable of facing what was to come. "We will find her and he doesn't know what he's dealing with because when we do if I get my hands on him he'll wish he'd never been born."

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"So you think you know who I am?" There's an edge of menace to his voice that I know is my final warning but I'm choosing to ignore it.

"I don't think I know I do know now why are you doing this? Is it really because you want me or is it just that you think I humiliated you in some way?" Now he's laughing and every cell in my body is telling me it's not a good thing.

"Of course I want you, you knew that from the beginning, but I was prepared to wait, then I found out about him. I should have known really that there was something going on when we first met but I was caught in some sort of spell by you. How did you work it out? How did you know it was me?" He really needs to ask? It's my job to work things out and if he has spent as long watching me as he claims then he should know that.

"I recognise this room, it might have taken me a couple of days but I knew I recognised it and earlier it came to me. Why now after all his time? You never even contacted me again, you never tried to find out if I'd be interested in you and if not why not. Why do this? Why so extreme?"

I can hear him sigh and I know he's thinking about the wisdom of telling me more but then I still believe that he doesn't think I'll leave this house alive so what has he got to lose?

"I followed you for weeks, just watching you, wanting to know more about you so when I did approach you I could make you see that we were right for each other. You didn't even know I was there and nor did your three puppets not even the one who's been fucking you. See that was when it changed, I used to think he was just clingier than the other two but then I saw you and him coming out of your place, I saw how you looked at him, the way you reacted to him, just the way I wished you'd react to me and I knew you'd never willingly be mine. Now you are or you will be you can't say I'm, not being fair, I've given them a week to find you before I claim you completely as mine. I'm a patient man Sandra I can watch you from a distance for a few more days but when they fail, especially him, I'll take great pleasure in having my fun with you then giving your lifeless body back to him."

My blood is running old in my veins and I'm trying to think of a reply that doesn't betray my fear but he doesn't give me a chance to respond. He leaves the room again and I stare at the closed door realising I have never been more terrified in my life.

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"Right are we going to the museum it should be open by now." Gerry said loudly looking at the clock for the tenth time in as many minutes.

"One of us should go to the pet shop." Jack added as Brian grabbed his coat and cycle helmet.

"I'll do that." He replied "It's close and I know the owner."

"Ok meet back here in a couple of hours then." Gerry agreed as they all left the office.

"You know we're going to find her don't you?" Jack said quietly once he and Gerry were in the car driving toward the centre of the city.

"Yeah I know I'm just frightened about how I'll ever cope if we don't" Gerry replied refusing to meet his friend's eye.

"Well stop being frightened we have to find her because the alternative is too intolerable to even consider."

"I know but we've only seen a snippet of what this guy is capable of Jack." Gerry continued feeling bile rise in his throat as he spoke. "What if he gets tired waiting for seven days to be up, we already know what he did in her bedroom what if the temptation of having her so close is too much and he just does what he wants with her anyway."

"Gerry you're got to stop thinking like that." Jack snapped "Do you think I like the idea that she's at the mercy of that sick fuck? Of course I don't Sandra is like a daughter to me and I want to nail this guy's balls to the wall just as much as you do for even thinking about her like that, but we need to stop ourselves focusing on what we can't control and concentrate on what we can. None of us wants to think of this bastard hurting her or forcing himself on her but the only way we can make sure that doesn't happen is to work our balls off and find her."

"I know." Gerry sighed as they got out of the car at the museum and made their way to gallery 3 spending the next twenty minutes looking at exhibit after exhibit.

"This is pointless." Jack said eventually as they met in the middle of the room again. "I mean what the hell are we supposed to be seeing?"

"I don't know." Gerry replied flicking through the guide book in his hand, but there's something here and we just aren't looking hard enough. I can feel it just standing here; we're close so we need to look harder."


	7. Chapter 7

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 7**

"That was a complete waste of time!" Jack said loudly as he and Gerry entered the office again finding Brian looking closely at the pet shop receipt.

"Yeah I think this guy is just messing with us and we're getting nowhere. We're no closer to finding him now that we were when she first disappeared." Gerry added throwing the exhibit guide book on the table angrily. "Brian; tell us you've got something please."

"Well the guy bought dog food, a bag of some special brand for older dogs." Brian began lifting the guide book and flicking through it "They have no CCTV but he was served by the young girl that does mornings she's away at a family wedding or something but she'll be there in the morning and we can talk to her."

"Great another dead end or it probably will be anyway." Jack sighed handing Gerry a cup of coffee as they watched Brian examine the guide book. "We've been over that a dozen times Brian and we went round the exhibition itself almost as many times there's nothing there."

"Yeah you said." Brian replied his tone distracted as Gerry and Jack exchanged frustrated glances then jumped as he slammed his hand on the desk, "Douglas Morson! There's a whole section in here on Douglas Morson. Oh my god the dog food we've been idiots!"

"Brian are you going to tell us what the hell you're talking about?" Gerry snapped as his friend dropped the book on the desk and grabbed the phone waiting as someone answered on the other end.

"I need all the files on a case closed by UCOS earlier this year." He said excitedly and the other two men stared at him. "Yes the file on the James Farlow case and it's urgent, really urgent."

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He's back I can hear the key in the lock again and my stomach tightens as he opens the door and I see the phone in his hand.

"We're going to give your boys a little call, let them know I'm keeping to my side of the bargain but I'm going to tell you what to say and if you tell them anything else the deal's off understood?"

He's going to let me speak to them? I know he has some ulterior motive probably to torture them and me by giving us that brief contact then snapping it away again but at least I'll get to hear their voices and if I can think of some way to tell them what they need to know without him realising maybe they can get somewhere. It's a risk I know but taking risks were this situation is concerned has started to become second nature.

"Ok I understand." He was staring at me obviously expecting a response and now he seems satisfied.

"You tell them you're ok, you tell them you're waiting for them to find you and you can even tell them to hurry up if you like but other than that you say nothing. If they ask you a question you don't answer it without the nod from me and if I even get a hint you are trying to give them any information about who I am I'll end the call and make you regret it is that clear?"

I've nodded again and he's dialling the number and putting it on speakerphone on the bed between us as I listen to it ring and say a silent prayer they are in the office.

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"Brian are you going to tell us what the hell you've come up with?" Jack asked as Brian hung the phone up and it rang again immediately. Lifting it the others watched as the colour drained from his face and he hit the button putting the phone on speaker as Sandra's voice filled the room and all three of them stared at the phone.

"I don't want you to worry I'm fine." She said quietly as Jack rooted around in the drawer for his tape recorded and put it on the table beside the phone. "I know you're going to find me I have complete faith in you, I miss you all."

"Sandra where are you? Help us!" Gerry replied his voice shaking as the effect of hearing her voice and not being able to hold her and tell her everything would be ok took hold, then sighing as the silence he was greeted with told him that whoever was doing this to her, to them, could hear every word they were saying.

"You need to get back here Sandra you remember Jacks liking for beef tea?" Brian added shaking his head and holding his hand up to silence the others as they looked at him in confusion.

"Yeah of course I do," Sandra replied "It's bad for his health personally I'd pour the whole lot down the sink."

"I thought you'd say that so you think I'm right then, it's important not to let him drink anymore based on past experiences."

"I definitely think you're right, I know you're right." Sandra replied "Just find me guys please."

As the phone went dead Brian smiled triumphantly punching the air as Jack finally lost his temper .

"Jack stop fucking jumping about and tell us what the hell is going on what was that all about beef tea? Have you completely lost your mind?" He shouted as Gerry stared at the phone clearly willing it to ring again.

"You two haven't got it yet have you?" Brian asked as a WPC entered the room handing him a large cardboard box before leaving again. "Dogs, old dogs, beef tea, Douglas Morson, James Farlow. Think about it…"

"Oh my god!" Gerry gasped realisation hitting him like a steam train. "You really think that's it? That's why you mentioned the beef tea you were asking her if you were right?"

"Yep and I'd say she confirmed that I was wouldn't you?" Brian agreed as they all started empting the evidence from the box in front of them laying it out on the table.

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Staring at the phone as he takes it away again I try to hide the exhilaration I'm feeling, they're getting there, Brian knows what case this is all linked to and now I know it won't be long until they find me.

"Beef tea?" He's laughing and I know he has no idea about the link he's simply finding the whole thing hilarious. "This is going to be easier than I thought, I know they're old and everything but I did think they'd be a little more focused on and finding you and ask a few more interesting questions even if I wouldn't have let you answer him."

"They are focused, they're always focused you have seriously underestimated them." He's still laughing as he leaves the room and I finally let myself smile. I know everything is going to be ok, I never doubted them for a minute but he's no idea how much he's helped with that single phone call. Now I know they are on the right lines and so do they so this is almost over I can feel it, it won't be long until I'm home where I belong.


	8. Chapter 8

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 8**

"Ok so the main suspects at the time where John Fletcher and Professor Styles;" Gerry said attaching pictures of both people to a newly cleared section of the incident board as Jack finished the phone call he was making.

"And we can't discount James Farlow himself he might have been old but he was vicious enough." Brian added as Jack joined them shaking his head.

"We can discount him I just spoke to his solicitor he's been in the London Metropolitan Hospital for the last month with severe phenomena they don't think he's going to last so he hasn't been running around abducting anyone." He said, venom dripping from his words as Gerry and Brian exchanged concerned glances knowing there was more to be said there but right now they had to focus on Sandra.

"Ok so that leaves us Fletcher and Styles." Brian sighed looking at the pictures and shaking his head firmly. "This isn't something I can see Styles being involved with. I mean she was a whack job but a very particular sort of whack job if it was Scampi we were looking for instead of Sandra she'd be our woman but this isn't her style. Fletcher on the other hand; when he came here to "confess" to the dog murders he hated her by the time he left."

"What's happening I got Jack's message." Strickland interrupted entering the office and looking at the table and incident board as Gerry filled him in and Jack played back the tape of Sandra's phone call. "Right I'll get on to the switchboard and see if they can trace that call and you'll need to talk to Fletcher."

"Me and Brian will go talk to him." Jack said quickly before Gerry could speak. He knew that if there as even a hint the Fletcher might be behind this Gerry wouldn't be able to control himself and that was the last thing any of them needed.

"Ok well you go do that and Gerry we'll keep going through this and see if there's anyone else we should be looking at." Strickland agreed shuffling the case file around as Jack and Brian left the room.

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Sometimes people say a hot shower can solve anything right now I wish that were true but at least I have some hope now, maybe this will be the last one I have in this god awful room. Right now I'd give anything to be at home in a hot bath with Gerry bringing me a glass of wine and washing my back. God it feel like months since I last seen him instead of 4 days I never knew it was possible to miss someone so much and hearing his voice earlier and hearing how concerned he was has only made it worse.

Jesus Christ where did he come from? I've turned around to reach for the towel and he's standing at the bathroom door watching me. Shit he's creepy as I grab the towel and quickly wrap it around myself staring at him in shock.

"Relax Sandra it won't be long until I can look at you all I want I was just enjoying a preview. A couple of hours and we'll be into day 5 with no sign of your knights in shining armour. I'll leave you to get sorted sleep well it'll not be long before it's all over I promise."

He's gone again and I'm actually shaking as I lean back against the wall to steady myself. God I hope he's right and this is almost over but unlike him I hope it ends the right way and the boys are on their way already.

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"This guy Fletcher is a real piece of work Jack if he has her god knows what he'll do or might already have done." Brian said quietly filling the heavy silence in the car as they drove toward Fletchers home.

"Yeah I know let's not say that to Gerry eh? He's so close to the edge right now it'll not take much to push him over." Jack agreed trying to push the unwanted images from his mind. "Have you heard from Esther how did she get on today?"

"Yeah she says it went ok, she brought home clothes and bedding and stuff to wash and she says she'll take it all back in the morning then the place should be back to normal." Brian replied shaking his head to remove the images of Sandra's home. "She's going to bring us all something to eat later so you can ask her then but I think she's got it covered."

Pulling up outside Fletchers home they stared at each other for a second both clearly wondering if they were going to knock the door and have found her as they got out of the car.

"Mr Fletcher? Jack Halford UCOS." Jack said firmly a moment later when John Fletcher opened his door. "We've not met but I think you know my colleague Brian Lane."

"Oh yes what is it? Someone else bumping off mutts are they?" Fletcher spat looking at Brian contempt in his gaze "Sorry to disappoint you but not guilty again!"

"We're not here about dogs this time." Brian replied "we're here about a person now how about we talk about this inside instead of on your doorstep."

"A person? God here as me thinking you lot were only interested in animals." Fletcher scoffed standing aside and letting them in. "So who's the lucky human being warranting your time and why would I have anything to do with it? I like people remember its only dogs I can't stand!"

"When you decided to "confess" in our original case you were interviewed by Mr Lane and DS Pullman." Jack said once they had got inside and he watched Brian take in their surroundings.

"Yeah the blond, she was a right bitch I'm surprised you haven't brought her with you does she actually let you out alone, not worried dementia might kick in and you'll forget your way home?" Fletcher replied the hatred in his tone making the hairs on the back of Jack's neck stand on edge as Brian asked to use the bathroom and was told it was at the top of the stairs.

"She's busy at the minute and she was a big fan of yours too." Jack snapped as Brian left the room. "Can you tell me where you were between 10pm on Monday night and 8am on Tuesday morning?"

"Ah see much as I'd like to give you a result to take back to she who must be obeyed I'm afraid I can't." Fletcher smiled "I only flew home yesterday from ten days in Corfu I can even provide you with tickets, boarding passes, my passport, people who saw me, so you'll have to tell Blondie she'll need to find some other way to fit me up."

"We'll be checking all that out Mr Fletcher don't go anywhere in the meantime." Jack replied as Brian came back into the room and took his cue to leave.

"There was nothing upstairs." Brian said when they were safely back in the care and pulling away from the house.

"He's not our guy." Jack sighed "He hates Sandra but then men like him always hate beautiful women, but he's too sure of himself. If we'd said it was her that was missing he'd have found it hilarious but he didn't take her."

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"How are you three holding up?" Strickland asked as he and Gerry continued going through the files they were lifting from the box.

"We're not." Gerry replied refusing to meet the other man's eyes "but we don't need to hold up we need to find her, I don't expect you to understand I know you've never really got what this unit means to all of us."

"That's not true if I didn't understand how you all work I'd have told the three of you to go home four days ago and handed this over to CID." Strickland sighed reaching for the bottle of scotch still sitting on Jack's desk and pouring some into two cups before handing one to Gerry. "I know you all think of me as some sort of ogre who lives to make your lives more difficult but I understand what you have here and I know how much she means to you three. I know that nobody would work harder or put more effort into finding her that's why you're doing it and nobody else!"

"Yeah well we appreciate it." Gerry replied rooting around in the bottom of the box before pulling out an audio tape and scanning it for a label. "Look at this there's no label on it but it looks like an interview tape."

"Strange but you're right it looks like one of ours."

"Fletcher's not our guy." Jack said loudly interrupting them as he and Brian returned to the office and Gerry held up the tape.

"Any idea what this might be?" He asked as Jack took it from him "It's not labelled but it was in the Farlow evidence box."

"No idea." Jack replied shrugging as he reached for the tape player on this desk. "But let's find out."


	9. Chapter 9

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 9**

As Jack put the tape into the player and started it they all crowded round and listened as a man's voice filled the room.

"Ok I've never owned a dog."

"Then why did you say you did?" Gerry asked.

"It wasn't to cause trouble."

"Then enlighten me." Sandra demanded her voice angry and scathing.

"I saw you in the paper."

"And"

"I liked what I saw."

Standing quietly as the conversation played out and Gerry's face became harder and angrier with each passing second, the tape ended and all four men stood silently for a second.

"The value wine company." Gerry said eventually pulling his computer keyboard toward him and typing frantically as the other's joined him round his desk.

"Is this the guy who sent her the crate of wine when we were working the case?" Jack asked as the website came up and Gerry clicked on the "about the owner" link.

"Yeah and that's him. Tom Christie god her was a slime ball. He's our guy I know he is." Gerry replied "He all but threw himself across the table at her when we interviewed him I mean what sort of tosser messes with a police investigation because they fancied the look of the lead officer when they saw her in the paper."

"This wasn't in the original case notes." Strickland said scrolling through the website as Gerry, Brian and Jack exchanged worried glances.

"Well it wasn't directly relevant to the case sir." Gerry replied "Sandra sent the wine he's sent her as a gift back and she said he was a nut job but harmless so we forgot about him and concentrated on the case,"

"Yeah I can see why." Strickland agreed "But I think we can all agree she was wrong about the harmless bit."

"So what do we do now? Do we have a home address for this guy?" Brian asked as the door opened and Esther walked in carrying a shopping bag in one hand and a casserole dish in the other.

"Dinner is served." She smiled "Mr Strickland I didn't realise you'd be here but there's plenty to go around."

"Thank you Mrs Lane if you're sure then that would be very nice." Strickland replied as Esther pulled plates from the bag and started dishing up the casserole and heating it in the microwave.

"We have an address here in the notes from the public appeal." Jack said holding up a sheet of paper as Gerry took it and immediately headed for the door.

"Gerry wait!" Strickland shouted stopping him in his tracks. "Come back we don't even know how best to handle this guy yet. We already know he clearly has no respect for the law we don't want to spook him too soon. If we go storming in there tonight and he's holding her somewhere else he could take fright and do anything. Come back and eat and while we do we'll decide what's the best plan of action."

"Ok." Gerry sighed catching Jack's eye as he nodded his agreement and they all sat around on the sofa's in the centre of the room while Esther handed them all plates and started to make coffee.

"We need to know if he's holding her at his home address or somewhere else." Brain started as he ate and the others listened "We need to set up some sort of surveillance, twenty four hours should do it. The house is right at the heath so tomorrow Esther and me could go for and "picnic", take the dog and spend the day somewhere near the side of the heath that faces his house. I wasn't there for most of that case so he's never met me."

"That could work if it's ok with you Mrs Lane." Strickland replied

"Call me Esther and of course it is anything I can do to help I will."

"Ok well when we're finished up here me and Gerry will take the night shift." Jack added "We'll park up near the house and keep an eye for the next few hours through the night and early tomorrow morning and see if we can see any sign of him or any idea that Sandra might be there."

"Are you sure we shouldn't just go in mob handed and lift this guy?" Gerry sighed setting his half-finished meal down on the table. "I mean leaving her there or possibly leaving her there for another 24 hours if something happens between now and then could we really forgive ourselves?"

"Could we really forgive ourselves if we went in and she wasn't there and we had nothing to hold him on then he went to wherever she was and did something to her because he felt cornered?" Brian asked "At least if there's always one of us watching the place we'll know if he's there and maybe even if she is."

"Brian's right Gerry." Strickland added "I promise if we have nothing by this time tomorrow we'll go in all guns blazing but let's see if we can be a bit more sure of what we're dealing with first."

"Ok but just 24 hours any more than that and it's just dangerous and stupid."

"Right well we'll get going and find somewhere to park up." Jack agreed getting up and grabbing his car keys from the desk. "Brian we'll change about 10 in the morning ok?"

"Ok keep us informed." Strickland called as Jack and Gerry all but ran out of the room toward the car park.

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I've been staring at the same spot on the ceiling for the last I don't know how long. I know it's the middle of the night the street outside is all but silent and there's no noise from what I now know is the heath on the other side of the road. I've been going over and over how I would work this if I was the one at the office and one of them was here and I keep trying to convince myself they have what they need now. I didn't expect them to come bursting through the door an hour after I spoke to them but I do truly feel like this is coming to an end. The knot in my stomach is a little less tight and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I just hope he doesn't lose patience and do something stupid before I can reach it.

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"He's definitely our guy Jack I can feel it in my bones." Gerry said quietly as they pulled the car up a few hundred yards from Christie's front door in a space that gave them a clear view of the door.

"Yeah I agree but we need to play it safe Gerry when we go after him we want to make sure that we can get Sandra out of there safely." Jack agreed as he turned his attention to the house and watched a shadow move around behind the blinds in the living room. "Well he's there or someone is now let's see her you bastard or at least something that lets us know she's there and ok."

"I'll second that." Gerry sighed as they settled down falling into a nervous silence as they both stared at the house.


	10. Chapter 10

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 10**

"He's on the move" Gerry said quietly nudging Jack as they watched Christie come down the steps of the house and head up the street, "Should we follow him?

"No he's on foot he'll not be going far let's sit tight and see how long it takes him to come back." Jack replied as Gerry quickly zoomed the camera in and took pictures of Christie as he disappeared around the corner.

"Where do you think he's going? There's one of those all night Tesco metro places a couple of streets away may he's going shopping."

"Why would he go shopping in the middle of the night?" Jack asked opening the flask Esther had given him and pouring them both coffee.

"Maybe he doesn't want to leave the house during the day in case anyone gets suspicious. He travels a lot with his job if he's not seen the neighbours would be less likely to notice than if he's suddenly around when he shouldn't be." Gerry replied as Jack nodded.

"Or maybe he doesn't want to leave her in the house alone when she's awake, although if she was sleeping surely him going in and out would wake her."

"Well it would depend, under normal circumstances she's sleeps so heavily I could play a bass drum in the room and it wouldn't wake her besides we already know he thinks nothing of drugging her what's to say he hasn't done it again?"

"Yeah it's possible." Jack agreed "he's back, with groceries."

Taking the camera again Gerry snapped more shots as he set down the bags on the door step items falling from one of them as he unlocked the door before lifting everything and going back inside.

"Jack look at this." He said a moment later as he scanned the images on the preview screen. "See those bottles that fell out of the bag? That's the brand of shampoo and conditioner that Sandra uses. It could be a coincidence but….."

"But it's probably not." Jack interrupted "it would explain his fascination with her rubbish."

Falling silent again they watched turning their attention back to the house as the single shadow started to move behind the blinds again.

"Are you holding up ok?" Jack asked half an hour later when nothing had happened and the silence in the car had started to get clawing.

"I didn't realise how much in love with her I am until these last few days but the thought of losing her is killing me Jack." Gerry sighed refusing to meet his friend's eyes as he felt his chest tighten again.

"Well maybe when she is back you should stop hiding your relationship and put it on a firmer footing. I'm not saying rush straight in and propose or anything but you could move in together or something."

"If she'll let me I'm never planning on letting her out of my sight again. Once we get her back I'm going to wrap her in cotton wool and chain her to her desk."

"Good luck with that." Jack laughed cracking the window a little as Gerry lit a cigarette "Unless she's had a complete personality transplant in the last few days she'll have your balls if you try to smoother her, she's far too independent for her own good."

"Yeah I know but I can try," Gerry agreed the determination in his voice surprising even him as the lights went out in the house and they continued to watch.

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"I'm not going home Esther I'm going to go back over these videos to see if there's anything on them that helps us nail this guy." Brian snapped as Esther sighed and nodded in resignation.

"Ok well I'll hang around for a while longer then go home and sort out our undercover picnic." She replied wandering over to the incident board and looking at the pictures of the inside and outside of Sandra's home and the ones of her handbag contents. "Brian come here a second."

"What is it have you seen something?" Brian asked as she pointed at the handbag and the picture of the outside of the house.

"Where's Sandra's car? It's not in the driveway and there are no car keys in her handbag. Is it here? I mean did she leave it in the car park and get a taxi and if she did where are the keys?"

"Get Gerry or Jack on the phone while I go check the car park I can't believe we didn't notice that it wasn't there." Brian replied dashing out of the room as Esther picked up the phone dialling Gerry's mobile number and listening to it ring as Brian ran back into the room and took the phone back from her.

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"What have you got Brian?" Gerry said into the as Jack watched. "No, no you're right it wasn't there."

"What wasn't there?" Jack asked as Gerry told Brian to hold on,

"Sandra's car it's not at the office and it wasn't in the drive way at her place and Esther's just noticed that the car keys weren't in the contents of her handbag."

"Well I'm going to take a walk and see if I can see it nearby." Jack answered as Gerry told Brian what was happening and said they'd ring him back as soon as they established if it was there.

Watching as Jack scanned the street then walked around the corner they'd seen Christie take earlier Gerry held his breath. He couldn't decide if he wanted the car to be there or not. If it wasn't there then there might still be a chance they were wrong but if it was they might be one step closer to going in and bringing her home.

"It's parked round the corner." Jack said breathlessly getting back into the car. "There's blood on the back seat it definitely looks like that's how he got her here."

"Brian we need Strickland and backup the car's here enough of this fucking around we need to go in and we need to do it now," Gerry snapped into the phone. "Yeah and tell him if he doesn't get here quickly we're going in on our own, we don't know what this guy is capable of and we're not leaving her in there a minute longer than necessary."


	11. Chapter 11

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 11**

"We need to coordinate this properly so just meet us in the next street in I'll be there with M.I.T in ten minutes." Strickland said loudly before hanging up as Gerry turned the loud speaker on his phone off and stared at Jack.

"He's right we need to do what he say Gerry this all has to be done by the book when we get her out of there we don't do anything that means he can get off on a technicality I want this guy to not see the light of day for a long time and I know that's what you want too." Jack said taking a final glance at the house as Gerry pulled out of the parking space driving in the direction of the street Strickland had told them to meet in.

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Something has changed, I can feel it in the air, I can't out my finger on what it is but I know something's going to happen. For a while I was able to convince myself that it was nothing, that I'd been cooped up in this room so long I was starting to lose my mind but it's not that.

I can hear him moving around down stairs normally at night the place is so quiet I'd convinced myself that he left me here and slept somewhere else but not tonight. I know the seven days must be almost over by now maybe that's why he's around more, maybe he's preparing whatever he has planned for me when the time runs out, maybe that's the change I can feel but I hope with all my heart that it's not.

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"Ok there'll be armed response across the road and stationed at the back of the property too." Strickland said quietly as officers piled out of the back of a Land rover beside them. "The four of us will go to the house and see if he'll open the door if we can get him out onto the door step or get him to let us in the we can prepare the way for a team to come in and lift him and hopefully find Sandra."

"And if he doesn't answer or if he sees it's us and slams the door in our faces leaving her inside with him when he knows we're on to him?" Gerry asked the hairs on the back of his neck standing on edge at the images being thrown up by his imagination.

"Yeah I mean we're just going to walk up to the door and show our hand?" Brian asked as Jack shook his head clearly thinking the same thing.

"We're going to see if we can get in and bring it to an end without needing armed response but they are there and watching everything so if he doesn't let us in they'll be all over the place in seconds and if he does I'll be in constant communication with them so I can get them in as soon as anything seems to go wrong."

Moving through the darkness toward the house Gerry felt his chest tighten as M.I.T officers on either side of them disappeared into the night. Stopping at the bottom of the steps leading to the front door all four men paused giving each other a final glance as they climbed the stone steps and Strickland rang the bell then loudly knocked the door.

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I heard it, I heard the bell ring and then the immediate knock after it that can only mean one thing. I've done it often enough and spent a large part of my career watching other people do it. They're here, they've found me I know it and now I'm off the bed my ear pressed against the bedroom door.

"Mr Christie?" That's Strickland I recognise his voice oh god it's almost over.

"Yes can I help you? You do realise what time it is don't you?"

"Yes we're aware of the time Mr Christie I'm D.A.C Strickland and these are my colleagues Brian Lane, Jack Halford and Gerry Standing can we come in for a minute we need to have a word with you." They're all here but is he going to let them in. Should I shout or something and let them know I'm here?

"I don' think now is the time if you gentlemen would like to come back in the morning I….."

"I'm up here…Gerry! Brian! Jack! I'm upstairs!" I couldn't just stand here and risk them walking away and I know they've heard be because I can hear running footsteps and yelling.

"Keep your hands were I can see them Mr Christie. Where is she which room is she in?" I can hear someone trying all the doors and finally reaching the one I'm in.

"Sandra! Sandra are you in there?" It's Gerry, he's here the power has gone from my legs as I tell him I'm here and stand back from the door as he breaks through it gathering me into his arms as the room goes black.

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"Get a paramedic in here now!" Gerry shouted taking off his coat and draping it over Sandra's body as she lay lifelessly in his arms.

"Is she ok?" Brian asked as he and Jack tumbling through the door followed by a paramedic.

"She's breathing but I think she fainted." Gerry replied as two more paramedics with a stretcher came into the room and Jack pulled him to his feet giving them room to work.

"Strickland has Christie in the car already on the way back to the station and forensics are on their way." Brian said as the paramedics moved Sandra onto the stretcher and Gerry grabbed her hand. "You go with her we'll make sure everything goes ok here and see you back at the office."

"OK I'll keep you informed." Gerry agreed following the paramedics as they made their way out of the house and he saw Sandra's eyes open weakly he smiled down at her. "Its ok sweetheart you're ok we've got you and everything is going to be ok."

"I knew you'd find me." Sandra whispered as she was put into the ambulance and Gerry climbed in beside her taking her hand and squeezing it gently as her eyes closed again and he felt like he could breathe for the first time since this had all began.


	12. Chapter 12

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 12**

Gripping Sandra's hand a little tighter Gerry watched as she slept not having properly regained consciousness since they arrived at the hospital. The cheap negligee she'd been wearing when they found her had long ago been taken away by forensics and the stark white of the hospital gown seemed to only heighted the pale sheen of her skin and the angry cut on her lip and bruise on her cheek.

"What did that bastard do to you sweetheart?" He whispered stroking her hand as feeling his heart break as she whimpered in her sleep her arms flailing around as she cried out and her eyes shot open terror radiating from them. "Sandra its ok I'm here you're safe."

"Gerry? Oh god I thought…" Sandra whispered as he sat on the edge of the bed holding her tightly and gently kissing the top of her head as she cried.

"It's ok it's over he can't hurt you now he's back at the station with Brian and Jack and Strickland will be making sure he is never on the street again." He said quietly as she started to calm again and he took a deep breath knowing he had to broach the subject that had been eating away at him since Jack had phoned half an hour before. "Sandra forensics what to do a sexual assault kit, they've left it with the doctor. Did he….did he do anything…. Jesus Sandra I'm sorry but did he rape you?"

"No, not while I was conscious anyway." Sandra replied her voice cracking as he kissed her softly determined to show her that nothing she could tell him would make him love her any less. "He drugged me, more than once, but I think I'd have known if…..if he'd done that while I was unconscious. It was what he planned to do, if you hadn't found me in the seven days he was planning on doing what he wanted with me then murdering me but he seems to have believed in sticking to his seven day limit."

"They still need to do the kit, I'm sorry if there was any other way I'd….." Gerry sighed as she nodded refusing to let go of his hand as he got off the bed. "I'll be right outside the door sweetheart I'll send the doctor in he'll do what he has to as quickly as possible then I'll be right by your side again."

"Gerry please….please stay while he does it I don't want to be away from you right now." Sandra said quietly as he nodded leaving the room for a moment before returning with the doctor and sitting on the bed his back to the other man as he began taking swabs.

"I love you Sandra Pullman and I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you again." Gerry whispered as she flinched slightly as the doctor finished taking swabs and began his internal examination. "When you get out of here I don't plan on letting you out of my sight again, I was so scared I'd lost you."

"That's everything done your forensics guys asked for." The doctor interrupted smiling as Sandra nodded. "Obviously they'll have to analyse the swabs but let me put your mind at rest. From what I've seen in the internal examination I'll be putting in my report that there is no bruising consistent with sexual assault and in fact nothing to suggest any sexual activity in the previous 5-7 days."

"Oh thank god." Sandra whispered tears starting again as the doctor closed the door and Gerry brushed them away with the pad of his thumb. "I was so scared Gerry, every time he touched me, every time I woke up and he was watching me I thought that was it. I thought he'd lose patience and I'd never see you again. All I could think was that I was going to die without ever having told you how much I love you and how happy you've made me over the last year."

"I know." Gerry replied trying to push away the images that had been haunting him while she was gone. "I know how much you love me and I hope you know how much I love you too. Jack thinks it's time we stopped hiding and put things on a more firm footing and I think he's right."

"Jack?" Sandra gasped as he saw panic cross her eyes and smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah him and Brian know, Jack worked it out when we were at your place after he took you." Gerry explained shrugging as she looked at him expectantly and he knew she wanted more of an explanation. "When we got their I checked your drawer to see if you'd had time to get to your gun Jack knew immediately that there had to be a reason I knew it was there. He asked me straight out how long we'd been together, when we told Brian but Strickland doesn't know."

"How did they react?" Sandra asked the concern in her eyes making him smile.

"They're happy for us but I think you should prepare yourself because when you get out of here we're going to have some explaining to do and according to Esther the drinks are on us for not having told them for so long."

"I should have known." Sandra laughed taking his hand and kissing him again as the fact it was actually over began to sink in. They'd found her just like she knew they would and now that she was back in his arms where she belonged she didn't care how much explaining she had to do she was just pleased to be here to do it.


	13. Chapter 13

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 13**

"He can't be serious!" Jack snapped staring at Strickland as Gerry entered the room and for a second all of their attention focused on him.

"She's ok apart from the bruising we saw she had no other injuries and she was a bit dehydrated so they've given her fluids but I can pick her up as soon as the doctor discharges her and take her home this afternoon." He said quietly as they all stared at him. "So what's been happening what's Christie said?"

"He's said nothing, absolutely nothing." Brian sighed shaking his head as Strickland took over.

"He has said one thing he's said he's not talking, not answering any questions we have the only person he'll talk to is Sandra."

"Like hell" Gerry replied loudly not quite believing what he was hearing, the bastard had kidnapped her, trashed her home, held her captive for almost a week and basically terrorised her and he thought they'd let her walk back into a room with him?

"That's what I was saying just before you arrived." Jack agreed. "We don't need him to talk we have enough evidence to charge him and if he thinks he can make demands just to get to spend more time with her then he's crazier than I thought he was."

"Yeah on that we're all agreed." Brian added opening his mouth to speak again as the office door opened and they all turned to see Sandra walk through it.

"What are you doing here Sandra? When I brought you your clothes you promised me you'd ring me to pick you up as soon as the doctor discharged you so I could take you home this is the last place you need to be right now." Gerry sighed kicking himself for listening to her when she'd told him he didn't need to sit around waiting for her to be discharged.

"Sandra are you ok?" Brian asked pulling her into an awkward hug as Jack waited, smiling as she walked into the room.

"Good to see you back Sandra." He said hugging her and gently kissing the top of her head as he felt her relax a little.

"I'm glad you're ok Sandra but Gerry's right you should be at home resting not here." Strickland added.

"Thank you sir but I've been away from here long enough. Who interviewed Christie and what has he said?" Glancing around the four men in front of her Sandra sighed she knew they were trying to protect her but this wasn't the way to do it. She needed to get back in control of this situation where he was concerned and this was the only way she knew how to do it. "Look I know you all think you're helping but you're not I need to close this down in my head and I can't do that if you're all going to treat me like I'm suddenly made of glass. Now what has he said?"

"Nothing" Strickland sighed as the other three men glared at him. "He's refusing to talk but we don't need him to."

"I know we don't need him to talk but why isn't he? He knows we have enough to charge him so he's not doing himself any favours so why not just talk?"

"He says he'll only talk you." Jack replied refusing to look at Gerry and Brian knowing they'd be furious but he knew more than most how important it was in these situations to know everything if you were going to move on. "But he's been told it's not happening."

"Why? I'll talk to him but first you're all going to….."

"No way Sandra you're not going anywhere near that bastard again." Gerry snapped.

"He's trying to continue to have some sort of control over you guvnor don't let him do that." Brian added as Jack stood in front of her his hands resting on her arms as he spoke.

"Don't let him keep calling the shots Sandra, he thinks he still has the power right now but we know he doesn't so just….."

"Look," Sandra interrupted stepping away from him and staring at each of them in turn. "I know I've been away for a few days but did I miss a memo that said I wasn't the guvnor in this office anymore? I know all that you've said is true but I want to do this I want to show him that he hasn't intimidated me out of doing my job. Now I want to know everything before I go in there no matter how upsetting you think it might be for me then I'm going in there and I'm going to finish this."

"Are you sure that's what you want Sandra? You don't have anything to prove you're the victim in this case." Strickland sighed already knowing the answer just as surely as the others did no matter what they said she was going to do it anyway.

"Yes I'm sure now are you going to fill me in or do I have to gather the files up and go into my office and work it out for myself?"

"Fine but at least sit down the doctor made me promise I'd not let you over do it too much for a few days." Gerry replied as Strickland excused himself clearly not wanting to be part of the discussion to come.

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I know they want to just make it all go away for me but that's not how I can get through this. I learnt a long time ago how much secrets can hurt because they will always come out in the end. I want to know it all then I can walk in there and face him and put this to an end knowing there's not a single thing he can throw at me that I don't know nor anything he can say that will shock me however bad it is.

"Look I know you three want to protect me from whatever he's said or done in the last week but I need to know so if you care about me then be there if I need help along the way but tell me anyway." I think I've finally got through to them and while Gerry sits beside me squeezing my hand tightly Jack and Brian start going through the evidence. The videos, the parcels with my clothes and handbag in them, the state he left my home in and what he did while he was there.

"None of that is there anymore sweetheart, Esther worked really had to get everything back to normal for you. She's been a real star keeping us fed and making sure your place is ok and even helping spot things we'd missed on occasions." I don't doubt that for a single second. Esther is constantly like the 5th member of the team and she'd have wanted to be part of finding me as much as the boys would.

They've moved on to the actual pieces of the jigsaw that they put together to find me from the phone call to the surveillance and Esther noticing my car keys were missing. Finally I feel almost ready for this but there's one more important thing to do first and none of them want to say it.

"Ok well it's time we went to one of the P.A.C.E interview rooms and you took my statement, what little I can remember between being knocked out. You have to ask everything that has to be asked and I promise to answer honestly then once we've done that I'm going in there to nail him then you are all going to take me for a very large drink."


	14. Chapter 14

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 14**

"Interview with DSI Sandra Pullman time is 14.26 present are DAC Robert Strickland and Jack Halford." Strickland said firmly when the loud beep indicating the recording had started was silenced. "Sandra you're aware we have Tom Christie in custody but we still need your statement for evidence if at any point you need a break just say and we can pause the tape and come back to it."

"Why is he telling her that she knows she's interviewed more suspects and witnesses than he ever will and she told us to get the interview over with." Gerry whispered angrily as he and Brian watched events from the other side of the two way mirror. He knew there had to be a serving officer in on the interview and they'd all agreed Jack would be the best one of them to sit in but it wasn't making it any easier to watch.

"He has to do it by the book for the tape Gerry she's ok look she's got through that bit and they're on to the questions hopefully he'll keep it short." Brian replied as they fell silent and turned their attention back to the interview.

"Can you tell us what you remember about the night you were abducted?" Jack asked smiling reassuringly as she nodded.

"I left you, Gerry and Brian in the pub about 10 when I got home the lamp was on in the living room but when I got inside there wasn't anyone there so I assumed I'd left it on when I left that morning." Sandra began, taking a deep breath as she tried to remember as many details as she could. "I went to leave the room again and someone grabbed me from behind I tried to fight back but he pushed me onto the floor and I hit my head on the corner of the coffee table. He grabbed me again and I lashed out I'm pretty sure I hit him but after that I don't remember anything else."

"Ok so what is the next thing you remember?" Strickland asked making notes on the sheet of paper in front of him.

"I woke up handcuffed to the bed, I was covered with a sheet and I was naked under it." She continued Jack's eyes meeting her for a second as he nodded reassuringly.

"Was there any indication at that stage that he had assaulted you or injured you in any way other than the cut on your head caused by the fall against the table?"

"No but I did feel drowsy almost hung over which I later realised was because he had drugged me. That was the point where he came back he brought me water and food and took one of the cuffs off so I could eat it. The room felt familiar but I couldn't place it because it was so dark. Then he told me what he'd done and how he's contacted the office and given you all seven days to find me then he left again."

"You're doing great Sandra." Jack smiled "On the video he sent we saw you try to get away from the room can you remember anything about what lead up to that? We realise he drugged you again at that state so it may be hard to remember but is there anything you can tell us?"

"He came back what I assume was the next day and told me he'd left something for me to put on in the bathroom along with towels and that my favourite products were there too. Then he took the other cuff off and told me there was no other way out of the room so not to bother trying and that'd he'd leave me to shower then he'd be back. When he came back I could see the hallway behind him and I thought if I could distract him enough to let his guard down I might be able to get out. As you saw I was wrong."

"We have to ask Sandra if at any point he touched you inappropriately or made advances that were unwelcome or did he do anything of that nature?" Strickland sighed feel Jack tense beside him.

"Why's he asking her that." Gerry snapped as Brian shook his head "We know she wasn't raped the forensics prove it why put her through taking about it all on tape?"

"I don't know." Brian said quietly hoping the interview wouldn't take much longer since he had no idea how much more Gerry could listen to without storming in there.

"He touched my face, my hair, my neck nowhere else and he watched me shower on one occasion to be honest I think he was getting off more on telling me what he planned to do. Dragging it out was what he was enjoying until he's terrorised me into submission when his seven day deadline hit."

"How did you eventually work out who he was?"

"He left a light on in the room and when I came round I recognised it. He didn't seem to care that I knew though. I asked why he'd done it he said he'd been watching me since the dog case and when he realised I was in relationship he felt he didn't have a choice." She continued her eyes pleading with Jack to take the questioning in a different direction before Strickland asked more about her relationship.

"So he got you to phone us, did he realise you'd told us what we needed to find you?" He asked watching as she relaxed again when it became evident Strickland was happy with the new question.

"No he told me if I told you who he was or even hinted at it he'd make me regret it but he had no idea what was going on when Brian asked about the beef tea he found it all hilarious and more evidence that you would never find me."

"Ok well that pretty much covers everything he needed to clarify Sandra." Strickland replied "Is there anything you'd like to add that you think we should know?"

"No as I said I wasn't conscious for a lot of the time so I don't remember anything else." Sandra sighed as Strickland ended the interview noting the time and stopping the tape.

"Are you ok?" Jack asked as Gerry and Brian entered the room.

"I'm fine but I could really do with a coffee before I go in to Christie."

"You go get that while I give the tape to MIT and go see the commissioner." Strickland smiled "Then we'll get Christie into a room and remember Sandra we'll all be watching and if he steps out of line so much as once there'll be a uniformed officer in the room with you and we'll all be in there in seconds."

"I know it'll be fine he didn't intimidate me when he had complete control of the situation I'm not about to let him start now!" Sandra replied returning his smile with a weak one of her own. She wanted more than anything for this to be over and was determined that within hours it would be. Just one more hurdle to get over and it would all be in the past.


	15. Chapter 15

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 15**

I'm standing in front of the mirror in the ladies trying to apply enough make up to cover the angry cut still on my lip and the bruising on my forehead. I got Gerry to get me some stuff from home so I at least looked more like a police officer with twenty years' experience instead of a victim but still not sure it's right. The again I'm not even sure how I should look for this particular interview. What do you wear to face up to someone who stalked and abducted you because you turned them down after they interfered with a police investigation just to meet you? It's not an experience I've ever had before and I'm pretty sure no one else has either.

"Come on Sandra you can do this, pull yourself together!" I've given myself little pep talks like this 100's time in the past but I've never needed one to work as much as I need this one to. "You just walk in there like it's any other interview, you get the information we need and get out of there and prove to him he's got no control over you anymore."

"Are you ok? Are you sure you want to do this?" Jesus I've not even made it out the door properly and he nearly gave me a heart attack. Now he's holding my hand trying to pull me into his arms as I glance around before leading him into one of the empty interview rooms. Jack and Brian may know about us but Strickland still doesn't and the last thing we need right now is for him to walk around the corner and see us.

"I'm fine, well ok I'm not fine I'm terrified but I need to do this baby, you realise that don't you?" Now I'm letting him wrap me in his arms soothing my fears in a way I longed for him to do when I was locked in that room. I missed this so much, missed him so much I really need this to be over so we can get back to our lives together.

"I know sweetheart I just wish I could be in there with you, I feel so useless. I let Christie hurt you in the first place now I have to stand back and let him try to control you again. If I'd just insisted on going home with you that…"

"No Gerry don't do that to yourself. You didn't "let" Christie do anything he did it because he's a twisted bastard. He was in the house waiting for me if you'd been with me god knows what would have happened. You were with me both times we interviewed him, he would have known you could identify him so he would still have taken me but he'd have seriously injured you, or worse." I won't let him start to beat himself up about this. Christie was determined to take me and if it hadn't been that night it would have been another.

"I was so scared I'd lost you Sandra." He's told me already and he knows I know that but he needs to say it again because here and now he doesn't have the freedom to say anything else or tell me how much he loves me. Well I'm sorry but after everything that's happened in the last week I think I'm entitled to a little deviation from my own self-inflicted rules.

"Gerry I love you and you could never be useless. The thought of you was the only thing that kept me going when I was there all I could focus on was praying that I would get home to you. Right now just knowing you will be watching the interview and be there if I need you will give me the strength to do this. The tonight when we get home I think Jack is right we should talk about the next step for us. Let me do this and draw a line under this hell then we can move on together."

"Ok, you're quite a woman Sandra you realise that don't you?" He's kissing me now and in spite of the fact it's a little uncomfortable because of the swelling on my lip it feels amazing.

"So you're always telling me but then you love me so you're biased. Now let's get this over with."

We're back out in the hallway and Jack, Brian and Strickland are standing outside one of the other interview rooms.

"Are you sure about this Sandra?" God the next person who says that to me I'm going to punch them! I know he is just doing his duty as my boss by asking but I know he wants me to do it even more than I want to so it just makes it more annoying.

"Yes I'm sure is he in there?"

"Yeah he's refused legal representation, claims he doesn't need it. Smug Bastard." There's complete contempt in Jack's tone and I know right now the three of them wish more than anything it was still the 1970's when they could go in there mob handed and get the information we need the old fashioned way. They'd take great pleasure in beating seven bells out of Christie for ever having laid a finger on me and right now I'm not sure I'd want to stop them.

"He claims that he has no need for a solicitor because he'll tell you all we want to know so it's him and one uniformed officer in the room you ok with that?" Now Brian is getting in on the "are you sure" debate and I've had enough.

"Yes we knew he was going to do this so can we just get in there and get it over with?" They've all nodded as they disappear into the viewing room and Gerry throws me a final reassuring wink as I reach for the handle of the door.

"This is it Sandra you can do this," I've taken a deep breath and opened the door my heart is pounding so loud I can hear it in my head as I see him sitting behind the desk and he turned to look at me. I know he's trying to throw me but the smug smile on his face is all it takes to convince me I can do this, by the time I'm finished with him I'll have wiped that smile off his face for good.


	16. Chapter 16

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 16**

"Interview with Mr Tom Christie, present in the room P.C. Anderson, Tom Christie and DS Sandra Pullman, Mr Christie can you confirm for the of the tape that you have waved the right to legal representation and you are aware that you can request a solicitor at any stage and the interview will be suspended until the duty solicitor has been called?" He's still smirking at me now as he confirms that he understands and I'm refusing to be the one who breaks eye contact even though the fact that he is even looking at me at all is making my skin crawl.

"After all we've been through together Detective superintendent don't you think we should be on first name terms? I mean it isn't that long ago that you were lying naked in my bed I think….."

"We've established that you didn't gain access to my home by forced entry Mr Christie could you explain how you did get in?" He's laughing now and he's finally looked away. I know what he's trying to do, he's determined to make me as uncomfortable as possible and make sure as many details of the time I spent locked in that room are on tape. It's another way of keeping control and I'm not letting him do it.

"Well you should really be a little more security conscious since this is a police station and all. It was even easier than I'd thought it would be. All I had to do was wait around in reception upstairs pretending to be waiting my turn in line then once the desk sergeant was distracted I slipped through the door and down here in the lift. Once I was down here I already knew you were all busy so I could have walked about for hours if I'd wanted. Your handbag was on the hook in your office all I had to do was take an impression of it. I have a lot of friends from my haulage days and I got one of them to cut me a key from the mould."

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"How the hell did he get to just waltz down here?" Jack asked as he, Gerry, Brian and Strickland watched from the viewing room.

"I don't know but I intend to find out." Strickland replied as they heard Sandra ask Christie how he got past the key code entry to the door leading to the lifts and he replied that he waited until someone was else was coming through it and hold the door open for them then he was able to slip through it once they'd moved on.

"Jesus what sort of idiot lets a civilian just walk through a door in a fucking police station?" Gerry snapped shaking his head and turning his attention back to the interview as Sandra continued.

"So going back a bit you interfered in a police murder investigation and when I refused to see you again you decided that stalking was the best option? How long exactly did you spend observing me and rooting through my bins?" She asked the callas edge to her voice making Gerry smile as he saw a brief flash of the Sandra Pullman he knew and loved.

"I needed to know as much about you as possible and since you weren't prepared to let me do that by spending time with you what else was I supposed to do?" Christie replied his eyes scanning her for a second as the other men watched her tense slightly.

"God he's a smarmy bastard." Brian said quietly his voice dripping with anger. "He's getting to her now her body language is changing come on guvnor you can do this."

"So you followed me, monitored my movements and established that your chances of getting into a relationship with me were non-existent why not just leave it at that? Why take things to such extremes?" Sandra continued as Christie leaned back in his chair lacing his fingers behind his head.

"You knew we were meant to be together Sandra all I needed to do was make you see that, if removing you from all distractions was the only way to do that then so be it. Once I had you if you still chose to ignore the chemistry between us then at least I was in a position to make sure no one else could have you either." He replied staring pointedly through the two way mirror at the four men as Jack finally felt his control snap.

"He's not telling us anything we don't already know other than the security in this building is shit which we could have guessed." He snapped staring angrily at Strickland. "Enough of this he's just trying to mess with her head let's get in there and put this to an end before he succeeds."

"Jack we can't do that you know we can't." Strickland replied "Sandra chose to do this no one forced her."

"I don't care if she agreed or not I'm going in there to get her as far away from that twisted piece of shit as possible." Jack continued reaching for the door handle as Brian grabbed his arm.

"She'll not thank you for that Jack and if you stop and think for a second you know she won't." He said quietly as Jack glanced at Gerry where he stood a short distance from the window clearly finding it hard to watch the woman he loved be put through this.

"What do you think Gerry?"

"I think we have to trust her to stop if she's feeling threatened or finding it hard, Brian's right she'll not thank us for going in there playing the hero no matter how tempting it is." Gerry replied as Jack sighed.

"Ok but if he keeps this up we go in, agreed?" He asked looking at Strickland as he nodded. "Good, she might not like it but she'll thank us in the long run. He's messed with her life enough, we give them ten more minutes and if he's not giving her anything we stop it."


	17. Chapter 17

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 17**

"So you'd decided in spite of the fact we were made for each other and I just wasn't seeing it so you'd have to abduct me to make me see the error of my ways why bother with the flowers, the phone calls, the muffin baskets? If you'd already decided you only had one option why waste time?" He's staring at me now with that same sly grin he's been try to intimidate me with since this started and much as I hate to say it he's starting to succeed. I just want this to be over, outwardly I may be convincing him and most others that this isn't getting to me but I know the boys won't be fooled especially Gerry.

"I was curious you and you team have quite a reputation for brilliance so I was wondering if I actually gave them and you a chance to find me before I took you would you do it. It was actually quite comical to watch" I know what he's referring to and part of me really doesn't want him to finish the statement I meant it when I told the guys I didn't blame them for not taking the initial threat seriously but to have him say that they could have prevented all this will kill them.

"Well I'm glad you found it all so entertaining but…."

"But they didn't even care enough to take you seriously, why are you trying to protect them? I could see from watching all of you from a distance that it was upsetting you how often did you tell them you were worried? How many times did you actually tell them you were frightened? I'd bet it was quite a few and yet none of them too you seriously enough not even…."

"They were simply trying to reassure me that everything was fine it's what friends do." The last thing I need right now is for him to decide to out mine and Gerry's relationship to Strickland and I really hope he hasn't picked up on that fact or he'll take great pleasure in doing it.

"Yeah that's what it was. Didn't you feel let down Sandra? I mean they didn't even care that you were getting more and more frightened what does that say about how much they respect you and care about you? If not one of them paused for a second to think that maybe you had a point do they really care at all? I know you were hurt by it I could see it from a distance how come none of them could see it from right beside you?"

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"Bastard!" Gerry snapped as he glanced at Jack and Brian and knew they were all thinking the same thing. They had failed her in a big way and no matter how much she told them she didn't blame them they would always feel like they'd let her down.

"Is this all true?" Strickland asked looking from one to the other their lack of response giving him all the answer he needed. "So she was upset and frightened and instead of doing something you ignored the signs that she could be in danger and look what happened. I am…."

"What were we supposed to do?" Jack snapped feeling his fists tighten in frustration they knew what they'd done or rather not done they didn't need a lecture from him about it.

"If she was genuinely worried which it's clear she was you should have come to me about it. it's not like she's a woman prone to overreaction just the opposite in fact. If you'd come to me and we'd properly investigated what was going on and taken her concerns seriously things could have ended very differently, she might have been saved from such a hideous experience and we might not be standing her having to watch him try to make her relive it." Strickland continued before turning back to the window as Brian, Jack and Gerry exchanged angry glances.

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"So really this has all been about what you can or can't get away with and nothing to do with your assertion that we are "made" for each other?" I can't believe how confident he still is even though he knows I could walk out of here right now and we still have enough evidence to send him down for a very long time.

"No, you are meant to be with me Sandra just sitting here in the room with you and imagining you standing naked in my shower is enough to mean if I stood up now you'd be left in no doubt about how much you turn me on. Besides I know forensics will have been all over your place with a fine tooth comb so you already know how I entertained myself while I was waiting for you. It wasn't the first time I'd had fun imagining fucking you Sandra and you can rest assured it won't be the last. I have a whole library of new images to get me through the lonely nights."

I can actually feel my skin crawl as he makes eye contact with me with me again and this time it takes every ounce of my self-control not to be the one to look away first.

"You'd have enjoyed it you know I've never had any complaints before and since it would have been the last thing you'd ever have done I'd have made an extra effort to ensure you died happy. There are worse ways to go."

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"OK he's going too far now time to get her out of there." Strickland said loudly as the others nodded their agreement and he left the room.

"God I wish I could have five minutes alone with him he'd not have a fucking dick to play with by the time I was done." Gerry said angrily as they watched Strickland entre the interview room and ask Sandra to come out for a second. Waiting for them to both leave the room they moved to the corridor themselves just in time to see Sandra disappear round the corner in the direction of the ladies.


	18. Chapter 18

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting 18**

"Sandra are you ok?" When Strickland came in and pulled me out of the interview I just about made it from the corridor to the bathroom before I was violently sick, now Gerry is standing on the other side of the door and I can hear the concern in his voice.

"I'm fine Gerry just give me a minute where are the other?" I really need all four of them not to be standing outside the door when I come out, I just want him, I want him to be able to hold me and tell me it will be ok then take me home because I really feel like the adrenalin that was keeping me going has run out and the events of the last week have hit me like a steam train.

"Strickland's gone back to his office now that Christie is back in the cells and Jack and Brian are making coffee and bagging up the evidence ready to store until the CPS ask for it." Thank god for that now if I can just get out of here I'll be ok.

"I don't want to go back into the office I want to go home will you go tell Jack and Brian I'm ok but I need to go home then will you take me?" He's said yes and I can hear his footsteps going away from the door as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I want to be able to put everything Christie said out of my mind, I want to be able to say it's done now, he's going down for it and he can't hurt me anymore. If I was talking to a victim that's exactly what I'd tell them to do it's not that easy though. The thought of him getting off on imagining raping and murdering me is an image I'll never get out of my head. When I close my eyes I'll so those eyes never willing to let me go, I'll hear him tell me how much I would have enjoyed it, I don't know how to get past it yet I…..

"Sandra are you ready?" Time to pull myself together and go home a prospect that is making me nervous in itself. The last time I walked through that door he was waiting for me and the thought of doing it again is making me feel sick.

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"Are you sure you wouldn't rather go to my place, you don't have to go back in there until you're ready, actually you don't need to go in there again at all if you don't want to. Why don't we go back to my place at least until you've had some descent sleep." Gerry said quietly as they sat in the car outside Sandra's home and she seem to be in no hurry to move. He knew the idea of going back in there had to be difficult for her, the fact that Esther had done such a good job of cleaning up was irrelevant she'd seen the crime scene photos and those were images that wouldn't pass for a long time if ever.

"No if I don't go in tonight I never will and you're coming with me aren't you?" She replied staring at him as he saw a moment of panic cross her eyes.

"Damn right I am I've already told you I've no intention of letting you out of my sigh again and I sure as hell am not going to let you be alone again until you're ready."

"OK well then let's go, if I let him drive me out of my home then he's won he's controlling my life just like he wanted to. If you're with me I can do it I know I can." Sandra sighed getting out of the car clutching the shiny new set of keys to the new lock Esther had arranged and taking a deep breath.

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My hands won't stop trembling as I try to put the key in the lock and in the end he's taken them from me and opened the door as I still feel rooted to the spot. I hate that I feel so scared about walking into my own home but I'm determined to do it. I'm determined that even if it kills me I will walk in there and walk into every room to prove to myself that there's no trace of him left.

"Are you ready? He's not in there Sandra we left him behind at the station but do you want me to go first?" I've nodded and he's taken my hand and pulled me inside gently as we go through the hall into the living room where I can see Esther has done a great job I don't think it has been this clean since I moved in but the sight of the table that I remember hitting my head against has made my stomach lurch again.

"Remind me to send Esther some flowers or something for doing this she's better at house keeping them I am this place has never been so clean."

"She's left us groceries too she's a star that woman she really is," I've just made it to his side and there's a note on the breakfast bar beside fresh bread, fruit and a bottle of wine, it says there's milk and fresh meant in the fridge so we can have dinner without having to go shopping. "Why don't you go have a hot bath and a nap then I'll rustle us up something for dinner?"

"Will you stay while I'm asleep I mean do you promise not to leave me?" I sound clingy and needy and exactly the sort of person I hate but I don't want to be on my own right now, no that's wrong I don't want to be without him right now. "I'm sorry I don't want to sound needy I just…"

He's gently put his fingers on my lips to silence me and pulled me into his arms kissing me softly. I'm bad at relying on people I've always been able to stand on my own two feet, never needed anyone but it's different with him

"I told you I wasn't going anywhere didn't I? Go have a bath and settle down for a nap I'll be right here when you wake up and for as long as you need me to be.

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Sitting on the edge of the bed in the spare room Gerry sighed as Sandra squeezed his hand again in her sleep. In the end she hadn't been able to settle to sleep in her own bedroom in spite of the fact that Esther had put it all back to how it was before Christie had ransacked it. Watching her sleep the restless in the way she moved fitfully and the angry bruises, now glaringly obvious with the thick layer of make-up removed, broke his heart. He wasn't sure if she would ever settle back into this house despite her protestations to the contrary he knew that it would be a long time before she could relax and feel like she was truly safe in her own home again.

"Ssssh sweetheart it's ok I'm right here." He whispered as Sandra mumbled in her sleep again the distress in her tone obvious and he lay on the bed beside her pulling her into his arms as she rested her head on his chest and immediately fell asleep again. He knew that no matter what he did he could never take away the pain that Christie had cause and he could never change the fact that he, Jack and Brian may have failed her by letting it happen but he was sure of one thing. Later over dinner he was going to talk to her about them moving in together, they could find somewhere new, somewhere that was theirs away from the horrible memories this place held for her and onto a new future together.


	19. Epilogue

****For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1****

**Seven Days and Counting – Epilogue **

Looking around the sitting room of her home, or what used to be her home, Sandra smiled, In the six months since her experience at the hands of Tom Christie she'd barely set foot in the place. She'd dug her heels in for the first couple of days and insisted that she wasn't letting him drive her out of her home but in the end common sense had prevailed and Gerry had convinced her to move to his place until they could sell both properties and buy somewhere together. They'd signed the contracts for the new house that morning and were handing over the keys to their own places that afternoon.

"Are you ok have you made sure you haven't left anything behind?" Gerry asked entering the room and standing behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yeah I'm fine and no I haven't left anything behind other than the bad memories anyway. Let's go the sooner I close the door on this place the better."

"Good well Jack and Brian have left already with the final car loads of stuff let's get out of here."

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"I thought we could all do with a drink." Gerry smiled as he walked into the sitting room of his and Sandra's new house with a tray of champagne glasses and a bottle in an ice bucket and a glass of orange for Brian then stopped in his tracks as he realised everyone's attention was focused on the newscast playing on the TV screen.

"In other news today wine merchant Tom Christie has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of abduction, unlawful imprisonment and assault after being convicted last week in the high court of kidnapping DS Sandra Pullman of the metropolitan police. After the sentence was handed down the prosecuting barrister issued a short statement stating that DS Pullman believed that justice had been seen to be done and she hoped it would serve as a deterrent in future to anyone thinking it was acceptable to deprive another person of their freedom. Mr Christie's barrister declined to comment."

"I was hoping we'd get through the day without having to hear about it, are you ok Sandra?" Jack said quietly as they exchanged concerned glances and all waited for a response.

"Well we were going to have to hear eventually if it hadn't been on the news someone would have phoned who had seen it, probably my mother and at least this way when she does call I'm forewarned about what she's talking about.." Sandra smiled lifting the remote and changing the channel on the TV "It's over boys, we beat him, all of us even you Esther, he tried to break us, to terrorise me and tear the team apart and look at us now. He's going away for a very long time and we all have a future to look forward to where he can never be a threat again. Personally I think that really does give us something to drink to."

"Here, here!" Esther smiled as Gerry filled their glassed and handed them out.

"To new beginnings." He said holding out his glass as he wound his spare arm round Sandra's waist and they echoed his words.

"I'll second that." Sandra agreed "And to the best team in the business especially now that we've proved beyond a shadow of doubt that they might try to break us but we're stronger than any of them and always will be.


End file.
